Guarded Hearts
by AriannaInsomnia
Summary: What will happen when Serj Tankian meets the woman of his dreams, but obstacles present themselves at nearly every turn? Will they fly together or float apart? And what of a man doing something unthinkable & unforgivable? Will it bring the end of all they've struggled together for? Only time will tell. (F-OC/Serj Tankian; rated for language, drug use & mature sexual content).
1. Chapter One

(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

 **Chapter One**

Cameras flashed, video cameras recorded and hundreds of thousands of screaming fans jumped and danced and cheered and chanted: "System! System! System! System!"

"You guys ready for one more?!" Daron shouted into his microphone. He looked out over the sea of people, who screamed and cheered with fists raised high in the air.

From somewhere behind him on stage, Shavo struck a chord on his bass, sending an eerie sound out to swim over the crowd.

They cheered even louder, if that was possible. "Yeahh!"

"I said are you guys fucking ready?!" Daron pointed to no one in particular with an outstretched hand while his other gripped the microphone.

"YEAHH!"

Daron began strumming a tune on his guitar which started slow at first, then gradually got faster until it was recognizable as the intro to 'Psycho'; the last song of the night, the last concert of the tour and the last tour until some new material was produced.

The arena erupted with loving praise for the nostalgic classic from their Toxicity album. Since this was to be the very last concert for a good while, the band had delightedly decided to play nearly every song they had ever created together.

Serj began humming harmoniously to the music, then out of nowhere, erupted into song: "Psycho. Groupie. Cocaine. Crazy. Psycho! Groupie! Cocaine! Crazy! Psycho groupie cocaine crazy. Psycho groupie coke. Makes you high, makes you hide. Do you really want to think and stop? Stop your eyes from flowing out."

Serj's voice was glorious, and only magnified by Daron's backup vocals. The crowd sung along and cheered with his every word.

"So you want the world to stop, rushing to watch your spirit fully drop. From the time you were a psycho groupie cocaine crazy."

As the song neared its end, Daron's melodic guitar riffs finally fading away, the crowd exploded with cheers, shouts, hands raised and tears of joy.

Serj smiled wide as he looked out at the adoring fans. Some were jumping up and down, trying to glimpse over the heads of the taller people surrounding them, some girls were sitting atop their spouses' shoulders, hands in the air, and others were still photographing and videotaping the show. "You guys have been an amazing crowd tonight and we all hope to come see you again in the near future! Thank you and goodnight!"

The crowd cheered and laughed and cheered some more. They clearly enjoyed the show and that put the biggest smile on Serj's face. He lived for the fans; to see their adoring and eager faces light up as he came on stage and began to sing. Sure, the money earned was nice, but the fans were the true joy and satisfaction that came with his career of choice. It certainly made the severe exhaustion of touring and performing all worth it in the end.

He exited the stage, followed by Daron, Shavo and John. All of them were beaming with energy and accomplishment. Finally, the last concert of the tour had come and gone. It had been a fun and exhilarating ride, but they were all exhausted. Being on the road for close to five and a half months had taken its toll on all of them. It was extremely relieving to know they could finally sit back, relax and just enjoy life.

The sounds of the crowd screaming, chanting and cheering began to fade as the four of them walked down a bright, wide hallway and entered the bands' designated dressing room through the second door on the right.

"What a show," Daron exclaimed, patting Serj on the back.

"Absolutely," he agreed, crossing the room to the black mini-fridge and retrieving four bottles of beer. He cradled his in the crook of his arm as he handed the others out. "The audience was amazing."

"They were," John added, sinking down onto the dark green, cushy sofa. "Like always."

Serj sat down beside John. "I'm glad this tour is finally over, though."

"Me, too," Shavo agreed. He held a spare pair of John's drumsticks in his hands, gently tapping them on a small table that resided near the far wall of the room. His opened beer resting atop the table rattled gently from the vibrations of the contact.

"We definitely have to celebrate tonight," Daron announced, taking a swig from his bottle. "Let's go out to a club or something."

Serj looked over at him, a somewhat exasperated look in his eyes. Daron didn't seem to notice. "What club did you have in mind?"

"War House," he suggested. "or maybe somewhere flashier? I'm in the mood for colors and a few fast, lovely ladies. I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely getting laid tonight."

Shavo nodded his approval and grinned at Daron. "Hell yeah!"

"Or we could just get some weed, invite a few friends and party back at your house," John piped up. "You know, cut out the middle man."

Serj took a sip from his beer before speaking up. "I second that; partying at your place sounds like a lot more fun."

Shavo sighed at Serj's comment, but Daron appeared unphased.

"You two have got to lighten up." Daron said with a roll of his eyes. "It's fucking magnificent that women throw themselves at us virtually everywhere we go," He paused to take another long pull from his beer bottle. "But how can they if we're stuck in a house somewhere?" He flashed a cocky grin. "Fame is a beautiful thing and we need not let it go to waste!"

Serj gave Daron a pointed look. "Fame can also be a terribly destructive thing, if you let it overcome and consume you."

Daron shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly in response and crossed the room to retrieve another beer from the fridge.

"And, more to the point," Serj continued, kicking his feet up on the wooden coffee table before him. "I don't enjoy hooking up with random women every night nearly as much as you do. The thought of it actually turns me off, and is very degrading to all women."

"So…what, are you trying to call me a dirty, rotten, man-whore scoundrel?" Daron asked, a smirk forming on his lips.

The others laughed at his crudeness, but Serj wasn't so easily impressed. Daron's attempt to deflect by turning things into a joke did not go unnoticed.

"Well, if the shoe fits," Serj replied, offering a small smile. "You've known me for many years so you should already know that for me sex without love is meaningless, a waste of time and energy. I've never gotten much pleasure from a random hookup and probably never will."

Daron's eyes took on a sudden dullness and he dropped his head forward as he leaned his hands on the slender stand nestled beside the door. "Alright, already, Tankian, we get it, we get it! Sex without love is meaningless. You're a hopeless romantic. I'm a soulless man-whore. Blah blah, yada yada.. Can this lecture be over now, and did I pass the test?" There was a playful glint in his eyes but a devious smile on his face.

Serj laughed in spite of himself. "Fuck no. You failed, miserably."

"Awh, shucks!" Daron cried out sarcastically.

Shavo laid the drumsticks down and walked over to the mini-fridge, patting Daron's shoulder as he passed. "The only things you've ever been good at are playing guitar and, somehow, getting pussy from girls way outta your league."

Daron scoffed, but before he could voice his reply there was a soft knock at the door. He opened it and Sarah, the band's manager's assistant, stood on the other side with a warm smile.

She took a few steps inside the room, her black heels clicking on the hardwood floor. "Hi, guys! Great show! I know you boys made a lot of people very happy tonight."

"Well, we do aim to please," Shavo said, still standing by the mini-fridge. "You want a beer?"

Sarah ran a hand through her short, straight, natural blonde hair. "Oh, I'd better not. I've still got a lot to finish up tonight, not to mention the arduous task of making sure those boys pack up all of your equipment correctly. I think it's best to have a clear head when dealing with them." Her voice held just a bit of tired annoyance, but her expression was even and she still held her warm smile.

"Ah, the infamous roadie duo," John said, grinning. "Gotta keep 'em on track."

"Definitely," Sarah agreed. "But I swear, if I catch them drinking on the job one more time, I'm going to send their asses packing." Her smile widened as she rested a hand on her slender waist. "The best thing about a roadie is that they're very easily replaceable."

"I know that's right," John laughed, standing up and stretching.

"Well, I'm not going to hold you guys up much longer. I'm sure you're about to set out for a festive night full of merriment and debauchery." Her lips twisted into a small, knowing grin. "I just came to congratulate you boys on the amazing show, and to let you know that security is bringing up the three contest winners as we speak."

The expression on Daron's face turned to one of puzzlement. "I'm sorry, come again?"

"You know, the three winners of that random-drawing contest that was held about a month back; the three lucky ladies that get to meet and hang out with you guys tonight at your 'Last Show of the Tour After Party' as Lance put it." Her eyes widened incredulously. "Please don't tell me that you all forgot about that."

"Oh, man." Serj leaned his head into his hand. "I did completely forget all about that."

"I didn't," John said, moving over to the mini-fridge for another beer. "Why do you think I suggested that we take the party back to Daron's house?"

"Well damn! I wish you could've mentioned that sooner, bro" Shavo sighed. "I forgot all about it, too."

"Wow! You guys are terrible," Sarah laughed. "But hey, I've gotta get back down to the stage and make sure everything's going smoothly. You guys have fun tonight, but be safe." Her pale-blue eyes flickered over to Daron for the briefest of seconds. "And please at least try to remember these girls' names after they meet you." She cast one final smile towards them before turning on her heel and exiting the room as quickly as she'd come.

"Well damn," Serj sighed, removing his feet from the coffee table and sitting up straight on the couch. "I can't believe I forgot about that contest."

"Me, too," Shavo added.

"Me, three. But hey, the more, the merrier," Daron exclaimed. "Hey, I think I can hear them coming now."

The four of them fell silent and, sure enough, the sound of footsteps, excited, hushed whispers and giggling could be heard echoing down the hallway.

Serj and John both stood up; Daron and Shavo were already standing. They all moved closer to the middle of the room.

A few seconds later, the man always hired as their main bodyguard whenever they were on tour, Dominic, poked his head into the room through the door that Sarah had left slightly ajar. "Hey guys, how's it going? I've, uh, got these three lovely young ladies that are dying to meet you." He pushed the door open about a foot wider with a broad shoulder. "Oh, and the concert was fantastic! I really enjoyed it," he added with a genuine smile.

"Thanks, Dom." Daron returned his smile. "You can send them in."

"Sure thing." Dominic turned and gestured with a slight wave of his hand. "This way, please."

The first woman to enter was pretty and petite, not standing above 5'2'' or 3''. Her short, crimped hair was dyed a bright, flaring red and the fake lashes that adorned her lids were accentuated by her dramatic eye-makeup, the shadow of which nearly matched the shade of her hair. A dark-red, very revealing halter-styled dress hugged her lithe frame.

Daron felt immediately attracted to her and looked her up and down with lust-filled eyes. She seemed to love the attention.

Serj was immediately put off by her, but did his best to not let the feeling show. He found women that wore way too much make-up and dressed more on the promiscuous side were nine times out of ten more concerned about the material possessions they could procure in life and the people they could use to get them. Therefore, they intentionally ignored all of the sentimentally wonderful things in life that really mattered. People with that sort of personality really clashed with Serj's energy.

The second woman that came into the room was prettier in a plainer way. Her shoulder-length, dirty-blonde hair was pulled back into a bun with two wooden chopsticks holding it in place. She was a little taller than the first woman, maybe 5'6" at the most, and definitely thicker than the first, her build toned and healthy. She wore a pair of black shorts and a white spaghetti-strapped top that was laced around the edges in black. Her blue eyes were accentuated by a pair of wire-thin, square-framed glasses.

Shavo felt she had a very laid back and relaxed look about her, and he completely loved that quality in any woman.

John, who had a long-time girlfriend named Nanami, felt instantly reminded of his younger sister Susanna by the second woman. Maybe it was her glasses, or the way she wore her hair. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Serj was instantly drawn to the third woman that walked through the door; her beauty took his breath away. She was taller than the other two women, standing at least 5'8" or 5'9", and had long, dark-brown hair that curled loosely in the most intricate of ways. The curls were even more defined with streaks of honey blonde and a lighter shade of brown that peeked through. She was thin; not as much so as the first woman, but slightly thinner than the second. Her curl-framed face was devoid of any makeup except for eyeliner and some dark grey eye shadow that made her lovely green eyes stand out exceptionally well against her pale skin. Her black jeans clung wondrously to her curvy hips and the slightly faded, tight-fitting System V-neck band tee she wore dipped low enough to show just the tiniest hint of cleavage. Her black DCs had mismatched shoestrings, green and black, that matched her shirt. A silver scorpion pendant dangled around her neck and Serj also noticed that there was a small stud in her upper lip on the right side, a piercing he'd once heard referred to before as a 'Monroe' piercing, as well as many more studs and small hoops lining her ears, punched through meat and cartilage.

The woman captivating his attention loosely crossed her arms in front of herself, smiling shyly, and Serj also noticed that she wore a single green and black striped cloth arm warmer that stretched from her wrist to a little past the middle of her left forearm.

He immediately extended his hand to her. "Hi, I'm Serj."

"I know," she said warmly, taking his hand and blushing slightly. "I'm Arianna."

 _Arianna_. _The perfect name for such a gorgeous creature_ , Serj thought with a bedazzled smile. To be polite, he extended a hand to both of the other women as well. The unnatural redhead introduced herself as Rachel. The blonde was named Morgan.

Serj turned his attention back to Arianna and found her gazing wondrously at him. It confused him for a split second and he wondered why would this beauty be amazed by him? Then his wandering mind snapped back to reality. _Oh, yeah. I'm Serj Tankian, vocalist for System of a Down. Maybe that's why she's staring at me through those big, beautiful, mesmerized eyes._

"So, how're you lovely little things doing on this fine evening?" Daron called out.

Arianna looked over at him and Serj took advantage of the opportunity to study her face a little more closely without seeming like a weirdo for staring too hardly. Her eyes were stunning, hypnotizing. He had never met anyone with eyes that bright green before. And they were accentuated by her dark, arched brows. Serj briefly imagined that there were hidden stars illuminating them, their gravity drawing him closer and closer towards her. There was a faint dusting of freckles spread across her small, straight nose and high cheekbones. Her lips were full, pink and luscious.

She smiled as Daron mentioned the party to the group, and then looked back at Serj.

He felt embarrassed for her catching him staring and glanced away quickly, but only for a brief second. He couldn't help but gaze as she stood before him; he couldn't stop himself.

"What's wrong," Arianna asked, her brows furrowing slightly, but that gorgeous smile still remained. "Is there somethin' on my face? Or in my hair?"

"No, it's...perfect," Serj replied, the tone of his voice dropping just a little bit.

"Okay." She glanced down nervously, and then looked back up at him, still smiling. "Good."

Serj cleared his throat and offered a warm smile, quickly trying to think of something to shift the subject to. His mind was still slightly stunned and his thought processes momentarily offered up nothing. He felt more nervous than he'd ever felt on stage before and feared that as the seconds ticked by in the presence of Arianna, he was starting to appear more and more like a love-sick puppy or something. And the very last thing he wanted was her thinking he was some sort of creep. "So, uh, are you from the area, Arianna?" _There. Now, why was that so hard?_

Arianna loved the way her name sounded rolling off of Serj's accented tongue. And good grief was he handsome! She focused on forming her next few sentences carefully. Already feeling overly nervous and certain she was blushing up a storm, she didn't want to be stumbling over her words as well. "I've been livin' out here in California for about three years now with my roommate, but I'm originally from Virginia."

"Oh, Virginia? The state for lovers," he replied, and was pleased that his voice sounded even. "You're a long way from home, then." He found himself loving the sound of her voice. He thought he had picked up on a slight southern drawl when she had first introduced herself, but hadn't been completely sure. He found the sound of her voice to be both soothing and seductive at the same time.

"Yep, I was born and raised on the east coast. How'd you know Virginia's the state for lovers?" Her eyes sparkled with wonder and her smile brightened.

"We've traveled to Richmond a few times to perform," Serj replied. "It's a very beautiful state, beautiful country sides. What city are you from, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm from Roanoke," Arianna said. "Star city."

"Ah, Big Lick," Serj countered with a playful grin. Arianna laughed, and the sound of it warmed his heart.

"Yep, that's where I'm from." She was amazed at how knowledgeable he was about her home state; a place he'd only visited a few times out of hundreds of other locals. Most people in Roanoke had been born and lived there their entire lives' and never even knew that the city had originally been known as Big Lick.

"I'm from—"Serj began.

"Lebanon," Arianna finished for him with a grin. "Beirut, to be specific."

Serj couldn't help returning her grin and chuckling. "Well someone's done their research."

"I s'pose I could say the same of you," she replied lightly, then shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? I'm a huge fan." That spark in her emerald eyes seemed to brighten. "What was it like movin' to the States at such a..." Her voice was overrun by Daron's booming one.

"Alright, ladies and gents! How about we take this little meet and greet back to my place? After all, we can't very well get fucked up and have fun by sticking 'round here now can we?" He quickly threw on his jacket and began walking towards the door.

Rachel was right on his heel, followed by Shavo, Morgan and John.

"After you," Serj said as he held open the door.

Arianna flashed him a bright, heart-melting smile as she passed. "Why thank you, Mr. Tankian."


	2. Chapter Two

(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

 **Chapter Two**

 ** _Arianna_**

 _Wow, this is absolutely amazing! A once in a lifetime kind of experience for sure, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!_

I still couldn't seem to completely grasp the fact that I had just met System of a Down. All of it still felt surreal, dream-like, and I would wake up at any moment. When I entered that contest, I never imagined I had any chance of actually winning. After all, I was just one girl against hundreds of thousands of other System fans. But when I did receive that phone call from the bands' management confirming my victory, it'd been one of the most exciting, happiest moments of my life and I thank God the odds had, for once, been in my favor.

Serj, who was walking beside me, said something, snapping me out of my rambling thoughts. "Come again?" I asked him as sweetly as I could, and prayed I wasn't blushing too badly.

A kind smile touched his lips. "I said we need to stop right up the hall here and speak with our manager for a minute, then we'll all go."

"Okay," I replied, inhaling deeply, silently, for a few seconds. I needed to calm my nerves. Good thing we were all going to be drinking tonight because I could definitely use a bit of liquid courage.

"Are you alright?" Serj's tone was light, but still etched with concern.

"I'm fine. Just a little nervous," _'cause you're so freakin' sexy and amazin' and actually talking to me, smiling at me; my God are you gorgeous..._ "-but thanks for askin', though," I added quickly before feeling myself turn even redder.

His grin widened, causing his dimples to spring out at me. "You're welcome, Arianna."

 _Good grief!_ Every time he said my name, I felt a little weak in the knees. I absolutely adored the sound of his voice. It held a deep timber, but was at the same time gentle and comforting. I loved the way his dark hair, goatee and dark brown eyes contrasted so wonderfully against his lightly tanned skin and the way his black t-shirt clung to his muscular yet lean arms and chest. I especially enjoyed how kind he was being towards me. I had always imagined him to be a very nice individual in person.

As we neared the end of the hallway I caught sight of a couple of people standing near the exit door. I recognized the woman by the sound of her voice to be Sarah, the friendly woman who had been the one to phone me with the news of my victory in the contest. She was talking with an older gentleman in a pristine, charcoal-grey suit that appeared to be in his mid to late 50s, possibly early 60s. His skin complexion was dark and his eyes were even darker. I also noticed that his face was immaculately shaven, and he wore a ton of gold jewelry.

The man turned to face us and a grin that I found just a tad too wolfish for my liking spread across his face. His piercing eyes looked all of us up and down, appraising. "Hey, hey, you guys, spectacular show! The best of the whole tour, if I do say so myself."

"Thanks, Lance," John replied, clapping him on the shoulder.

"No problem, no problem," he nodded, and then swiftly turned his attention towards us gals again. "And who are these lovely young ladies?"

"Ah, this is Arianna, Morgan and Rachel," Serj replied, pointing to each of us as he said our names. "The lucky contest winners."

"Ohh". Lance stepped up and planted a kiss on the back of Rachel's hand, then Morgan's. I followed suit and gave him my hand, throwing the politest smile I could muster onto my face. To be frank, the guy creeped me out a bit even though I couldn't put my finger on the exact reason why.

"It's very nice to meet you all," Lance said, stepping back so that he was standing in front of all of us again. "So, what have you guys got planned for tonight?"

Daron rested one palm against the white wall nonchalantly. "Oh, we're just gonna head back to my place, get high, get drunk, socialize; you know, the usual."

"Sounds like a fine idea," Lance said. "Daron, ah, could I speak with you for just a moment, in private, before you all go?"

"Sure, boss." Daron rolled his eyes and drudgingly followed Lance through a door to the right of us.

"We'll meet you outside, bro," Shavo called after him, and then proceeded towards the exit door.

We all followed along behind him and I shivered as the cool night air brushed across my exposed skin.

Serj seemed to notice. "Cold?"

"Just a little," I admitted. "Aren't you?"

"Nah," he replied. "But I wish I had a jacket for you."

"Oh, I'll be fine." I gave him a warm smile. "Actually, mine's in my car. I'm gonna go grab it and my bag, okay? I'll be right back. Don't go off leavin' me, now."

He chuckled a bit at my playful tone and pointed ahead to a huge, solid black tour bus. "Alright. We'll be there."

"Okay, be back in a sec." I hurried off as fast as I could without looking silly towards my car. I soon realized that after stepping away from Serj's presence I felt colder, and I had a strange, strong feeling that it didn't have much to do with the chilly night air.

 ** _Daron_**

I emerged through the exit doors and felt the cold night air slap me in the face. I pulled my jacket more tightly together around me and zipped it up. Then, I removed my pack of Marlboro reds from the pocket of my jeans and lit up. Inhaling the toxic smoke helped to steady my nerves, but just a bit.

Crazy, cautious Lance. Always worried that I was gonna go off and OD when all I ever tried to do was have a great time. I knew the guy cared for me, but I also knew how to take care of myself; how many lines to do, how much alcohol to drink. Moderation. Whatever.

Despite my manager's proclamations, I knew I was definitely going to be living it up tonight. I'd worked my ass off over the past year and now it was time to reap the rewards; it was time to fucking party!

You only get to live once, right? Why not enjoy your limited time on this planet to the fullest extent? I was with my band mates, my bros, and we had three beautiful women to accompany us. What better way was there to amplify that scenario than with a little stimulation of the illegal kind?

As I neared our tour bus I noticed that Serj was standing by the door staring after Arianna, who was headed off across the parking lot toward the front side of the building. Idly I wondered if something had already transpired between them, something bad, like an argument of some kind.

He noticed me approaching and turned slightly to face me. "Hey, what did Lance wanna talk with you about?"

I waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Oh, just the same old shit. You know how he is."

"Yeah." Serj looked back in the direction Arianna had gone. "He just worries about you. We all do. You know that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know." I kept my tone playful as I stepped past him and reached for the handle of the bus' door. "Do me a big solid and don't worry so much, Serj. I'm completely fine. And I'll be even better once I get some drugs in me."

Serj rolled his eyes, but did so with a small smirk on his face. He stuffed both of his hands down into the pockets of his jeans. His arms were visibly covered in goose bumps.

"Why are you standing out here, anyway? It's freezing."

"I'm just waiting for Arianna to get back," Serj replied, his eyes still trained in the direction she had walked off. "She had to go to her car to get a few things."

"Did she ask you to wait here for her or something?" I sneered, mostly to myself.

"No," Serj responded simply, his tone even.

My brows furrowed. "Then..why are—"

"Don't even ask," Serj smiled, glancing at me. "Because I don't even know."

Giving him a final puzzled look, I shrugged my shoulders and stepped up into the bus. "Alrighty, then."

 ** _Serj_**

Why was I standing out in the cold waiting wholeheartedly on a woman I had just met less than an hour ago? I felt puzzled, and at the same time, the answer was as clear as day: I cared for her. Which sounded bizarre, even to me, but it was the truth. Ever since I first laid eyes on her, I had the strongest feeling about her; that maybe she was the one for me, maybe I had finally found my soul mate. Maybe I could finally be completely satisfied with my life. And that was the crazy thing, because I had just met her, didn't know hardly anything about her, and I'd never been much of a believer in love at first sight, or the idea of soul mates, for that matter.

However, possessing this logical knowledge still did not stop my thoughts from rampaging through my head, and I also knew never to simply shove aside a feeling that was as strong as this one, either.

My heart sped up happily as I finally saw Arianna round the corner of the venue building. She had adorned a black hoodie and a small duffel bag was draped over her shoulder. She walked briskly and her beautiful, curly hair bounced with each step, shining in the moonlight.

As she neared me, she gave an impish smile. "I'm sorry. I had to park really far away from the entrance, and that lot is huge." She was slightly out of breath and her milky skin was flushed.

"It's okay," I replied, opening the door of the tour bus. I gestured for her to step up before me, and I quickly closed the door behind us to keep as much warmth in as possible.

"Everyone aboard?" called Jared, our driver.

"Yep," Daron responded after glancing our way. "We're clear for take-off."

His eyes lingered on Arianna a few seconds longer than I cared for. He had been a good friend of mine for years now, was almost like a brother in a sense, really, because we'd known each other for so long, but there was no way in hell I was going to let him try and take advantage of her like I'd seen him do to so many other women.

"God, it feels so much better in here," Arianna said. She removed her jacket and, in the process, shook out her curls, sending a sweet fragrance to greet my nose. She moved over to the small table and sat her bag down, then turned back around to face me. "Got any water or somethin'? I'm parched."

"Yeah, sure thing." I gestured to the mini-fridge that rested directly behind her. "There's a little bit of just about everything in there. Please, help yourself."

"Okay, thanks!" She turned and retrieved a sprite.

"You know there's alcohol in there, right?" Daron called out. He and Rachel were seated on the black couch that ran along the windows of the right side of the bus. Shavo, Morgan and John sat on the matching couch that was opposite them. All five of them had a beer in hand.

"Yeah, no, I noticed. I just don't care much for beer," Arianna said, twisting the cap off of the bottle of sprite. "I don't like the taste."

"Pussy!" John teased lightheartedly, giving her a playful grin.

She sat down on the bar stool that was fixed to the floor next to the table where her bag rested. Laughing lightly, she turned to face him. "Well, I guess you calls it like you sees it."

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down across from her.

"Calls it like you sees it?" Shavo repeated, grinning widely and looking over at her. "Just out of curiosity, where in the hell are you from?"

"Virginia," Arianna replied, and then glanced back at me with a beautiful smile. "Or, if you wanna get historical, Big Lick."

I felt captivated by her care-free smile and quickly had to remind myself not to stare too much. But _damn,_ was it hard.

Shavo laughed. "Big Lick? What the fuck?"

"Guess we've gotta big lick the Virginia virgin," Daron chimed in, taking another sip of his beer.

Arianna flashed Daron a wary look, one that he seemed to not notice, but still laughed along with them at her own expense. "Wow. You guys are just full of jokes."

"Well, we does whats we can," John imitated and exaggerated her southern drawl, kind of badly.

"Yeah, yeah." She offered him a playful grin and then turned back around to face me again. After taking another drink of her sprite, she sat her bag down on the floor and laid an elbow on the tabletop to rest her chin in her hand. "So, tell me, how does it feel to finally be done with this tour?"

I laid my hands on the table and sighed lightly. "It feels...liberating, to say the least. This was the longest tour we've ever done before."

Her eyes lit up. "Traveling around the entire US, though; that must've been exhilarating! I can only imagine how amazin' it'd be to visit so many different places."

Arianna's curiosity intrigued me. The majority of all the fans I had ever met in the past were usually either too nervous to say much of anything at all or were only interested in having sex with me-both female and male alike! But Arianna was different. Besides her natural beauty, that was another thing I found myself loving about her.

"It was very exhilarating, yes, and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity. As fun and rewarding as it is, though, it's also very exhausting." I sighed again and gave her a small smile. "I'm in desperate need of a little R & R."

She giggled, and the sound of it warmed my heart. "That's certainly understandable. I think I'd be on edge too if I had to live out of hotel rooms and a tour bus for half of a year." She flipped her long, dark curls over her shoulder and I had a sudden urge to reach out and run my fingers through it, just to see if it was as soft as it looked. "And I don't know if I could take livin' with these joke-chuckin' idiots for that long."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Shavo stood up and walked over to stand in front of us, a lop-sided smirk plastered on his face. "What'd you just say, Virginia?"

Her voice dripped with playful sarcasm. "Oh, what's the matter; did I just push one of your buttons? I'm sorry. Would you prefer instead moron, dumbass, ignoramus, dipshit, or…" She left her sentence unfinished and stared up at him expectantly.

Shavo put a hand to his chin and looked up towards the ceiling briefly, as if in deep thought. Then, he looked back at her. "Actually, I prefer ignoramus, because it's a big word and a dumb-dumb like me couldn't possibly know what it means." He grinned mischievously and nodded towards her. "But don't worry, you'll get yours back tenfold by the time this night's over, I promise you that, _Virginia_." He pronounced the last word of his friendly challenge with a severely drawn out southern accent.

Arianna returned his confident smirk with one of her own. "Yeah, yeah, I'm shakin'."

"Shaken, not sturrred," Daron added in a surprisingly good imitation of Sean Connery's accent as Shavo returned to his seat.

Arianna giggled again. "See what I mean?"

I laughed. "Yes, completely. I've learned to just tune them out." My smile turned into a sly smirk. "Listening to music helps."

That damn smile of hers was beguiling. "You must listen to a lot of music, then!"

"That's two, Virginia!" Shavo called out.

She glanced back at him again, and I found it irresistible the way her luscious curls bounced freely whenever she moved her head. "Yeah, bring it on, bitch. I'm pretty sure I can take you."

Shavo tilted his head back and laughed. "Oh, I like this one. She's a fighter!"

Daron wagged a finger at her. "Now, now, young lady, watch your language or no drugs for you."

Arianna laughed heartily. I was surprisingly finding a lot of joy in seeing her having so much fun.

"Speaking of drugs, how's about we get off this damn bus and get this party started?" Daron announced, standing up and downing the rest of his beer.

I glanced out of the window, and, sure enough, we were pulling up in front of his large house. Once again I was surprised because I had been so absorbed in Arianna; gazing into her beautiful, green eyes, talking to her so easily, as if we'd been friends for years, hearing her heart-felt laughter and thoroughly enjoying her back and forth exchange with my bandmates, I hadn't been paying the least bit of attention to what was going on outside of our tour bus.

 _Amazing. Simply amazing._

I wasn't sure how this beautiful, angelic creature was able to captivate my mind so easily, but I was completely sure that tonight would be a night I would never forget; in this lifetime, at least.


	3. Chapter Three

(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

 **Chapter Three**

 _ **Arianna**_

We passed through a large gate and pulled up in front of a very nice-looking, newly built two-story house. It was modestly painted a pale yellow and rather large, with a small row of bare-limbed bushes that ran along beside the walkway that led to the front door.

Everyone stood and began exiting the tour bus single-file. I quickly put my jacket back on, grabbed my bag and followed in line behind Serj. The distance from their bus to the house was short. Daron unlocked the front door with a set of keys pulled from his coat pocket and we all swiftly entered his home. Once inside, John flipped a light switch by the front door that seemed to instantly illuminate the entire first floor.

I was amazed at what lay before my eyes. Stepping into the entrance hall of Daron's home was like taking a step back into the European Middle Ages. There were many dark purple, velvet-lined glass cases mounted upon the stone-grey walls that displayed various, ancient-looking weapons. I saw daggers & shivs, swords, a mace, battle-axes & an ornately carved wooden bow that boasted a lovely swirling design. As we all neared the end of the considerably-large front hall, I also noticed an intimidating suit of armor that looked to be more aged than all of us combined resting by the large staircase.

"Ever since I was a kid I've always wanted to have my own armor, my own castle, the works," Daron announced to us. Rachel, who was predictably right on his heel, seemed to be feasting on his every word. "Who woulda ever guessed that all little teenage me had to do was pick up a guitar & grab a microphone to make that dream a reality?"

Rachel laughed at his statement, and I found the volume of it about as equally annoying as nails grinding down a chalkboard. Her voice held a nasally quality that was sure to grate on anybody's nerves; I couldn't resist a subtle eye-roll. They were none the wiser, as they were at the head of the group and already turning the corner to enter what I assumed was the living room. Shavo & Morgan followed them, while John veered to the left instead of the right, into what I could tell was the kitchen.

I halted beside Serj, who turned to look back at me. "I just wanted to take a closer look at that bow real quick, if I may?" I said, feeling my cheeks warm just a bit. It was suddenly just him and me left alone in the foyer, instantly making me feel a bit more self-conscious.

Serj gave me a half-sided smirk that I found completely irresistible. "Of course. I'm actually gonna go upstairs and take a quick shower. Daron's entertainment area is through there," he pointed behind himself, to the right. "Kitchen's there," he gestured towards the left. "And there's a bathroom if you walk further down the hall, to your immediate right. Help yourself to whatever you need. I'll be back soon."

I smiled and thanked him. He smiled in return before heading off up the stairs. I took the opportunity to ogle his backside before he disappeared from my line of sight. He was nicely broad-shouldered, & I unconsciously bit my lower lip as I dared to let my eyes drift even lower.

He was gone too soon & I sighed lightly before turning & striding the few paces back down the large corridor. I stopped in front of the deadly, silent weapon, let my bag slink to the floor & stepped up close, leaning in for a closer inspection. The bow was absolutely gorgeous! I could only take a guess as to what type of wood it was made from. It was a dark grain, with carved twists & curls rolled intricately around each other that were closer together towards the center of the bow & fanned out progressively towards each tip. The tips themselves were plated in a smooth, solid metal that was a shade of brown almost like dark bronze. They flared out slightly from the natural arch of the bow in a way that suggested maybe the bow could double as a deadly spade in a close situation. This weapon was both beautiful and devastating.

I straightened up from my position, using both hands to toss my hair behind my shoulders, & at the sound of footsteps I turned to see Daron walking toward me. Our gazes met immediately and I offered him a shy smile.

He was already sporting a cock-sure grin, & I noticed that he had an unopened beer in one hand.

I was surprised when Rachel didn't emerge from the 'entertainment area', as Serj had put it, right on Daron's heels, but thought better of voicing my thought. I wasn't exactly sure how it would come across, & the last thing I wanted to do was offend him, especially so early in the night. Instead, I said: "I love what you've done with your place." I nodded my head towards the bow. "This is especially intriguing."

Daron glanced at it & then back at me. "Oh, yeah. I can't remember exactly how old it is. But it's rare; I paid a pretty penny for it, that's for damn sure." He set his beer down on the table closest to us & removed his leather jacket.

I decided to shed mine as well, & as I pulled my arms from the sleeves I couldn't help but sense his stare become slightly harder on me. His gaze didn't stay fixed for long, but when they did flick back up to meet mine they had taken on a lustful, obvious glaze. I didn't know the exact reason why, but something about the look in his eyes...I wouldn't use the word scared, but I will admit it moved me towards a darker place than I had just been at before; shifted my mood into something else, something guarded.

I smiled at him through my eerie discomfort. "It's definitely a beautiful piece of weaponry."

"Not as beautiful as you are," he responded.

 _Shit._ Guess I set myself up for that one.

His gaze was smoldering. His grin widened, his lips tucked up faintly at the corners. It was a wolfish grin that didn't quite reach his intense stare. He reminded me of his manager. I cringed inwardly but maintained my friendly smile, hoping that it looked more genuine than his.

"Thank you," I said, folding my jacket over an arm.

Daron reached out a hand towards me. "Let me get that for you."

"Oh, um, ok. Thanks," I replied, feeling a little more nervous as each minute passed by. I handed it to him.

"No problem," he said, & as he turned & walked across the hall towards what I assumed was a hallway closet, I took the opportunity to grab the strap of my bag & head off down the hall, while his back was conveniently turned.

The living room was a little closer to me than the kitchen, so I ducked in there. I knew it was impossible to avoid him all night, and as his guest it would be extremely rude to attempt to do so, but I just didn't want to be alone with him any longer.

I sighed lightly in relief as I entered the well-lit room & noticed that Shavo, Morgan & Rachel were gathered together in the far corner near a large pool table. They weren't involved in a game yet, just chatting.

After setting my bag down on the arm of a large couch, I turned around slowly in a circle, admiring the room's décor. It had a completely opposite feel from the room before. The sectional, plushy sofa & adjoining armchairs were black, along with all of the end tables & TV stand, which supported a huge, sleek flat screen. Resting on the two shelves beneath the television was an Xbox 360, PS3, Wii & what looked like a satellite receiver box. There was also an expensive-looking stereo system nestled along the opposite wall that seemed to complete his impressive ensemble of high-tech toys, at least in this room of his house. The blindingly white walls & carpet contrasted rather well with the black furniture & electronics.

I overheard Shavo, who had yet to notice my presence in the room because his back was towards me, explaining how to play a game he called Strip-Billiards to the two women before him. The name of the game sounded pretty self-explanatory to me. Morgan seemed to be completely engrossed in what he was saying, her light eyes shining brightly. My gaze met Rachel's & I smiled at her. She gave me an appraising once-over, but returned my smile all the same.

"Alright, gals. Sit tight & I'll be right back with those shots," Shavo said, turning around. Upon noticing me, his smile twisted into a grin. "Well there you are, Virginia. I was wondering where you'd wandered off to."

"Just checkin' out Daron's armory," I replied.

"Yeah, I wouldn't go that far," he stated matter-of-factly. His grin widened conspiratorially. "Most of the weapons out there are just professionally crafted replicas."

"Even the bow," I had to ask.

"No, the bow's legit," he said. "Anyway, would you care for a shot?"

"Yes, of course," I replied. "I can go get it ready. Everything's in the kitchen, right?"

If my sudden offer had taken Shavo aback, he did an excellent job of not showing it. "Ok, yeah."

"Alright." I turned on my heel & left the room. I was relieved to discover that Daron was neither to the right or the left of me in the main hall. I turned & headed towards the kitchen, but halted just before I reached the door at the sound of voices coming from within. They were two male voices, & one of them definitely belonged to Serj.

"...but she is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, & completely different from all the rest. I've never felt this way before, this strongly about anyone. I think I might be..."

I chanced a few more steps forward to try & see who he was talking to & wasn't surprised to see John sitting beside him at an island table. Serj suddenly glanced over, noticed me standing there & immediately fell silent. _Damn it._ I breezed into the kitchen as nonchalantly as possible  & took a seat across from them. "Hey," I said, a bit uncertainly. "What you guys talkin' about?"

"Hi," Serj smiled, & if I wasn't mistaken I thought I detected a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Oh, nothing important."

"Just band stuff," John said, a little too quickly.

"Yeah, band stuff," Serj agreed, nodding his head & glancing quickly at John.

I leaned back in the tall seat & crossed my arms over my chest, squinting my eyes quizzically at them. "Uh-huh."

Serj slouched back & crossed his arms over his chest, giving me a playful smile.

I grinned. "Are you imitating me, ?"

He sat back up straight. "No, of course not."

I sat up straight, too." "Yes, you are."

Serj shook his head & laughed lightly. "No, I'm not."

"Yeah-huh!"

"Nuh-uh."

I sat back & rolled my eyes at him.

Serj sat back & rolled his eyes in return, then said something to John in Armenian.

John laughed, nodded, then looked back at me.

"Oh, so you're going to switch up languages on me, now?" I looked from Serj to John & back to Serj again. "That's no fair! What did you just say?"

"Nothing." Serj's smile was contagious. "I can't say at this point & time."

"Hm, okay," I replied. I gave them a polite smile, but couldn't help glancing down at my hands self-consciously. I knew he had said something that referred to me, but whether it had been a positive or negative statement is what made me feel the most uncomfortable. On instinct I averted their gazes for several seconds & just stared at my hands that rested on the table, honed in on the cloth bracelet an old friend had made for me in high school, fixated on the class ring I had paid for with my own hard-earned money.

When I did look back up, I found Serj staring at me intently. His warm smile had faded & his eyes held a troubled look that I could tell he was trying to hide. My intuition told me he wanted to say something but couldn't find the courage. For some reason the peculiar, almost pained expression made me feel very sad & I suddenly had the strangest yearning to reach out & lay a hand atop his. I resisted, though, because I wasn't positive how the gesture would be taken & the very last thing I wanted was to stir up any further feelings of awkwardness. So instead, I brightened my smile & sat up straighter in my seat. "So, we gonna start drinkin' or what?"

"Uh, yes, absolutely," Serj replied, a small smile touching his lips once more. "What do you prefer?"

It made me happy to be able to make him smile again & I beamed with that joy. "Got any gin?"

"It's a strong possibility," he replied, jumping up & walking over to the set of cabinets over the sink. He retrieved three clear shot glasses & then stepped over to open the refrigerator freezer. He peered inside before saying: "Looks like we have a bottle of Absolut Mandarin Vodka & a smaller bottle of Tanqueray."

"Please don't tell me all that's in there is light liquors," John said to Serj.

He ignored John, keeping his attention trained on me.

"The Tanqueray will do me just fine," I told him.

"I concur," he replied, returning the vodka to the freezer & picking up the shot glasses with his free hand.

"Serj!" John whined dramatically as the singer walked back over to reclaim his seat. "You know I don't do well with light liquors in large volumes."

"Relax," Serj responded as he twisted the cap off of the bottle. "I saw some Evan Williams in the door." He carefully poured out three shots, handed me one & held the other towards John. "Have one shot of this with us, though. Its celebratory, & it won't kill you."

John mumbled a few words under his breath, a playful glint in his dark eyes, but took the offered glass just the same. "Fine."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. He looked at me & laughed, himself. "Well, bottoms up."

"To having limitless fun tonight," Serj said, raising his glass & glancing at me with a playful smirk. "And all getting to know each other better."

I returned his smirk & added: "Here, here!" My cheeks were growing warmer by the second & I was sure I was blushing again.

We all gently clinked our glasses together before tossing them back. The alcohol burned my throat a little but went down pretty smoothly.

John picked up the gin from where Serj had set it & was pouring himself another shot before I'd even set my glass down. He looked from me to Serj. "You guys want a second?"

I raised my eyebrows at him, smiling slyly.

"Yeah, why not," Serj nodded.

"Exactly," John grinned at him before looking at me. "And you? Unless you don't think you can handle it."

"Hmph," was all I responded with at first, leaning back & crossing my arms over my chest. This man had no idea who he was dealing with when it came to the game of drink. I gave him a challenging smile. "Hit me."

"It is a proven scientific fact that women naturally have a lower amount of the enzymes needed to process & break down alcohol than men," he continued on, acting as if he hadn't heard me. His eyes strayed down to the bottle of liquor in his hand, as if he were studying its contents. "So, if you wanna sit out round number two, its completely understandable."

John's attempt to feign seriousness wasn't very good. His tone was direct, but he couldn't stop his lips from upturning as I stared at him. I pushed my shot glass toward him. "Alright, you patronizing asshat, I said hit me." With a sweet smile, I took Serj's glass from him & set it beside mine. "And him too, pretty please."

Serj chuckled & John's face twisted into a wicked grin. "Ooh, touché; touchy, touchy," John replied, mostly under his breath, & proceeded to refill all three of the glasses. We all drained them down again & I enjoyed the feeling of the liquor warming my stomach.

"So..," Serj laid his hands down on the table & gazed into my eyes. "Tell us more about your hometown, Arianna."

"Oh, yeah, cause we're just dying to know what it was like growing up in Big Lick."

"Ha, ha!" I scoffed. "You boys are so freakin' hilarious." I leaned back in my chair again. "No, really though, there ain't much to tell. It's a pretty small city surrounded by farmlands, & it seems like the only thing people ever do there is work. There ain't too big of a music scene so I guess it's pretty lame in that aspect. It ain't much, but its home for me."

Serj stared at me with a whimsical expression on his face but remained silent.

"Hmm, intriguing," John said as he stood, crossed the room to retrieve the bottle of Evan Williams from the freezer door & then returned to his seat.

His tone sounded genuine enough, but I still decided to change the subject. "Damn, do you always drink so much so fast?"

"Nah." He gave me a slight shrug of his shoulders. "But I'm trying to get a good buzz on ASAP." He held the bottle towards me. "Feel like stepping it up?"

I contemplated it for a second, but decided against it. I was already starting to slightly feel the effects & didn't want to get too drunk too fast; the night was still too young. "No, I think I'll hold off for the moment."

"Pusssy," John teased, downing his third shot of the evening.

I gave him a coy smile & flicked him off. "Whatever." The strong, wafting smell of marijuana suddenly greeted my nose & I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Shavo entering the kitchen.

"Here you go, Virginia." He held a blunt towards me.

"Oh shit, I completely forgot, Shavo. I'm sorry!" I blurted quickly, offering him a meek smile but accepting the weed nonetheless. I didn't bother giving him an excuse as to why I'd forgotten to bring him liquor; the entertainment value of his band mates should've been evident to him by now.

"It's ok," he replied as he gripped the bottle of gin sitting before us around its neck.

"Forgot what," John inquired, but Shavo had already turned & left the room again.

"Asshole," John called after him, then looked at me expectantly; whether in anticipation of the answer or me baby-sitting the blunt, I couldn't be sure so I quickly hit it, passed it on & said: "I had originally come in here to get drinks for Shavo & the other two girls but, what can I say? Talkin' to you guys is probably a helluva lot more fun than talking to them."

John pulled deeply from the blunt & handed it to Serj before replying: "You're definitely right about that."

Serj simply nodded his head in agreement with John before quickly hitting the blunt & passing it back to me.

I took a deeper drag the second time around, letting the smoke coil into the deepest part of my lungs & then exhaling it again. The urge to cough came on but I managed to suppress it. The combination of weed & alcohol already had me quite cloudy-headed; the grass was very good. I gave it to John & decided to hell with it, I'd have one more shot for the time being. I picked up the whiskey John had gotten & poured myself one, then held it out. "Want one more," I asked them.

"What the fuck," John asked, while Serj just nodded at me & smiled.

"What? I'm not allowed to change my mind," I replied, smirking at him. I poured Serj's shot & once again held the bottle towards John, looking at him expectantly.

"Umm." He hit the blunt again, lightly. "I think I'm alright for the moment, thanks."

"Pussy," I playfully mumbled under my breath, sitting the bottle back on the table.

"Psht, whatever." He flipped me the bird.

I pretended to catch it & shoved it in my pants pocket. "Why thank you," I told him enthusiastically. Laughing, I picked up my glass, & noticed that Serj had waited until I'd retrieved mine to pick up his. I grinned at him & we both clinked our drinks together once more before downing the fiery contents.

John stood up abruptly. "Damn, I've gotta piss."

"TMI, dude," I giggled.

"Shut up." He pushed against my head playfully as he passed by.

"Hey, watch the hair!" I said, running a hand through my curly locks.

Serj stood up, & for a fleeting second I thought he was going to leave the room, but instead he walked around the table to sit in the seat beside me.

I was slightly taken aback but tried not to let it show.

He pushed the liquor bottle back, rested his hands on the table & gazed at me. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Kinda buzzed," I admitted, looking into his eyes. They were a rich, dark chocolate color that I could get lost in indefinitely.

He smiled. "Me, too."

I moved my elbow on to the table again & rested my chin in my hand. "Do y'all do this of'en?"

"Do what?"

"This." I waved my free hand listlessly in the air. "Party."

Serj laughed lightly, glanced down at his hands briefly, then back at me. "No, not recently. We've been too busy working."

I nodded. "Right, that's right." I noticed a small, silver rose pendant attached to a thick, black corded string hanging around his neck & reached out to touch it, personal boundaries momentarily forgotten. "I like this. It's very pretty."

"It was my mother's," he said, his gaze not straying from mine. "She gave it to me when we first came to America, said it'd bring me luck. I think she was right." His tone harbored no cockiness, only a gentleness that felt genuine. Him & his mother must've had a close bond. I felt glad for him.

"I'd say so," I replied softly.

We sat there, side by side; so close I could feel the comforting heat emanating from his body, just looking into each other's eyes. From the look in his, I could swear he was about to kiss me. I felt myself slowly leaning towards him, mesmerized by that gaze, &...the sound of footsteps came from behind us.

We both turned our heads at the same time.

Daron sauntered into the kitchen, his jacket draped over his arm. He addressed Serj: "Hey, I've gotta make a quick run over to BJ's. You mind coming with me?"

Serj's facial expression was conflicted, & he glanced at me briefly before looking back at Daron. "Can't Shavo go with you?"

"He's too busy with those other two & I can't find John." Daron put on his jacket & grabbed a set of keys from the hook near the door. "It'll only take a few minutes, then we'll be back & ready to really get this party started."

"Alright," Serj sighed, standing up. He looked at me & held out his hand. "Care to tag along?"

Smiling, I put my hand in his & allowed him to help steady me as I stood up. "Sure."

Daron turned & we followed him into the main corridor. As we all headed for the front door, Serj paused to open the hall closet. He retrieved two coats from inside & dropped one of them around my shoulders.

"Thanks," I said, slipping my arms through the sleeves.

He put on his own. "You're welcome."

To my surprise, he took hold of my hand again & led me to the front door. I absolutely savored the feel of it & couldn't for the life of me keep myself from smiling like the Cheshire cat.


	4. Chapter Four

(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

 **Chapter Four: The Car Ride**

 _ **Serj**_

Daron opened the front door and we stepped out into the chilly night air.

"Which one are we taking," I asked, referring to his cars. My voice came out a bit gruffly; I was very annoyed at him for interrupting the moment Arianna and I had shared back in the kitchen.

"The Montero," Daron replied, pulling his pack of cigarettes out of his pants pocket. _Yuck._ I wished he would quit, especially since he was the band's other _vocalist_.

I glanced down at Arianna and noticed that her cheeks and nose had already turned red from the cold. Gently, I tugged her closer to me and wrapped an arm around her.

She looked at me & smiled, a wide, dazed smile that made my heart rate triple its beats.

We neared Daron's black SUV and I opened the rear passenger-side door, motioned for her to get in, then climbed in after.

Arianna immediately snuggled close to me, very close, resting her head on my chest and wrapping an arm around my stomach.

I placed my hand on top of hers and wrapped a protective arm around her, trying to keep her as warm as possible until the heat had time to kick in. The fingers of my free hand twisted themselves into her soft curls and a sudden yearning to caress her and kiss her and make passionate love to her until the sun came up began to ache within me.

Just as Daron started up the car's engine, John emerged from the house and jogged over towards us. He hopped into the front passenger seat and quickly closed the door. "Damn, I'm glad I caught you guys. Shavo's down to his boxers & one sock, & I really don't wanna see his junk."

"You're not true brothers 'til you've inadvertently seen each other naked," Arianna laughed, sitting up a little straighter but still laying against me.

"Then I guess I'm going to remain an only child," he replied sarcastically, glancing back at her.

"Hey, is that my jacket?" She leaned forward a little bit.

John glanced down at it and chuckled. "Yeah, I think so. I just grabbed one out of the closet, I wasn't paying that much attention. You want it back?"

Arianna rested back beside me again. "No, it's OK, I was just wonderin'. Besides, this one's way more comfortable."

He looked back at her again & grinned. "That one's mine."

Looking down at it, she giggled. "Oh. Well, nice jacket, then. You wanna trade?"

"Nope," John responded. He started fidgeting with the radio and found a station that was playing 'Indians' by Anthrax.

"I love this song," Daron commented, turning the volume up louder. He then quickly shifted to reverse, turned the car around and exited the paved driveway. For a second his gaze rested on Arianna in my arms through the rearview, & his expression turned to one of disdain. I could tell he was trying to hide it; his eyes would not meet mine.

It made me feel very uncomfortable and even more over-protective of her than I already did. I hugged her closer to my body and brought her hand up to plant a kiss on the back of it, hoping that he saw. I wanted him to fully get the point across that I wasn't going to allow him to try and take her away from me tonight, or ever.

Arianna apparently hadn't noticed our exchange because when I kissed her hand she opened her eyes and looked up at me. She gave me a shy smile and slowly, gently, lifted her hand up to caress the side of my face.

I closed my eyes and inclined my head to her touch, savoring the feel of her soft fingertips against my skin... Maybe it was the alcohol and pot intensifying my emotions, but I felt such a complete closeness to her and knew that I'd never want to let this go. Never before had I felt as over-powered by the intensity of my feelings for a woman as I did for her, even though I didn't know very much about her, not even her last name. I wondered desperately if this was what true love felt like, or if I was just desperately grasping at straws.

"Where are we going, anyway?" The sound of John's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"To BJ's," Daron replied, sharply inhaling on the cigarette nestled between his fingers and applying more pressure to the gas pedal. Thankfully, he cracked his window to let the toxic smoke escape.

"Ah," John said, glancing out the window. "Hey, you might want to slow down a little. Wouldn't want to get pulled over and put a damper on tonight's festivities."

Daron didn't respond, but did ease up off of the pedal some.

I glanced down at Arianna and saw that her eyes were closed again. The contented smile on her face made her look so serene and peaceful, much like how I felt when I was near her.

She continued to stroke my cheek so I knew she was still awake.

I gently laid my head against hers, inhaling silently but deeply. Her hair smelled like roses; hundreds of flower gardens soaking up the sun, thousands of flower petals dancing in the breeze and a million sweet fragrances tingling my nostrils. And it was so soft, softer than satin it seemed. I couldn't resist grasping a strand of it between my fingers; silky smooth to the touch.

I took her hand in my own, entwining our fingers together, and held them against my heart. Arianna stroked the back of my hand with her thumb and snuggled her head closer against me.

I wanted her. Wanted her worse than I've ever wanted anything. I could feel my heart reaching out to her, knew that I was falling hard and fast for her. She was like a secret, overwhelming addiction, one that I had to stimulate, or go crazy without.

I had to have her, and never be without her again. I wanted her to be near me, with me, mine, forever.

Sadness overcame me very suddenly, because I knew that the actual reality of us being together was slim. Arianna was a beautiful woman that had roots in the opposite side of the country, with her own friends, career and life.

I was Serj Tankian, vocalist for System of a Down, a famous figure with a busy schedule; always traveling, always working. Even if we did give it a go, where would she and I find the time to spend together? I felt sure that she'd enjoy traveling the road with us, at first. It got exhausting after a while, though, especially for someone not used to it. It felt very selfish to ask this ordinary, extraordinary girl to throw herself into my hectic lifestyle.

Even though the odds seemed to be against us, I decided that I was not going to let it deter me from trying. I didn't think I could bear to let this beautiful opportunity slip through my fingers.

I brought her hand up to my mouth and kissed it again, as tenderly as I could, hoping to somehow convey all of the heart-felt emotions that were mercilessly roiling around inside of me.

Arianna's eyes fluttered open, as if she had been dozing off.

"Were you sleeping?" I murmured.

"No, not sleeping." She gazed up into my eyes longingly. "Just thinking."

I smiled at her. "Oh, yeah? About what?"

Daron quickly muted the radio, which distracted her. His cell phone had gone off, and he quickly retrieved it from his pocket. "Yeah."

I couldn't make out who he was talking to over the low droll of the car's engine, but already had a pretty good idea as to who it was.

"I'm almost there, man. I'm literally right down the street," Daron said, lighting himself another cigarette. "Traffic is a real motherfucker tonight." The person on the other end responded, then: "Alright, give me about five minutes." He hung up and returned the phone to his pocket.

"BJ," John asked, turning the radio back up some.

Daron nodded his head. "He's got some really good shit, and it's going fast." He turned into the parking lot of an apartment complex and swiftly pulled into a space close to the exit. "Alright, guys, I'll be right back. You know the drill." He got out of the car quickly and jogged across the lot to the building.

Arianna sat up and looked out of the window. "What are we doin' here?"

John glanced back at her. "Daron's picking up his nose candy."

She looked a little taken aback. "Really?"

He nodded.

She lay back beside me & wrapped her arm around my midsection once more.

"Do you partake?" he asked her, after a brief moment had passed.

"I have a couple times," she admitted, sighing slightly. "But I never made a habit of it, though. There's no way I could afford it on a daily basis without being a hooker or something."

I shivered inside. The thought of her selling her body to men who would very likely abuse and exploit her for any reason made me sick to my stomach. I tightened my arm around her.

John looked back at her again. "Well, it's a very good thing that you couldn't afford it because it's a terrible addiction. I don't touch the stuff."

"Never?" Arianna was intrigued.

"Never," he told her. "I've done the stuff once or twice in my entire life, but it's definitely not my thing; can't stand the after affects. I just stick to drink and smoke. They're enough for me."

"Hmm..." She seemed lost in thought for a few seconds, and then she nudged me. "What about you?"

I wasn't sure just what to say at first. Yeah, I'd done it before, more than a couple of times and always with Daron by my side. But like John, the after effects were too intense for me and kept me from doing it but only occasionally. I didn't want her to think any less of me for it, but I also wanted to be completely honest with her. "Very seldom have I done it," I told her, carefully searching her eyes for any trace of ill refute. I was relieved to find none.

"Daron seems to like it a lot," she stated, closing her eyes again. "I hope it doesn't end up ruining his life."

"We've all tried talking some sense into him," John said, fidgeting with the radio again. "But he's stubborn."

"That's an understatement," I added, entwining my fingers with Arianna once more. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable.

"I knew several people back home, some of them I used to call my friends, who are either in prison or dead because they let that stuff completely consume their lives." A sad expression passed over her face and her hand gripped mine just a little bit tighter. "Well, not cocaine, exactly, but the more concentrated version. Most people there in the city are middle or lower class, and always eventually ended up turning to it when they could no longer afford the other. Crack is the poor man's cocaine, after all."

"Have you ever…" John let his sentence trail off.

She opened her eyes. "Smoked crack? Hell no. I've had it offered to me once or twice, but always turned it down. It's a horrible fiend drug and it ruins so many people's lives. I'd rather be dead than be a slave to something like that."

"I feel you," John replied softly. "I feel the exact same way."

I remained silent, feeling a little saddened by the direction the conversation had turned; not only because of the topic itself, but because it caused Arianna distress. Apart from reading it on her face, I felt like I could close my eyes and _feel_ her anguish as if it were my own.

As if she could read my mind, Arianna quickly steered to a lighter topic. "So what kind of video games do you guys have? I saw several consoles in the livin' room."

"We've got a little of everything," I spoke up.

"Have you ever played Guitar Hero?" John glanced back at her with a grin on his face.

"Of course," she smiled. "I love Guitar Hero."

"We should play when we get back. I bet I'll kick your ass at it."

"You probably will," she giggled.

"Well, I don't play guitar or bass like Daron and Shavo, so if you've had a lot of practice we should be pretty evenly matched."

"Okay." She giggled, nodding her head. "We'll see."

I caught a shadow in my periphery and looked out of the window to see Daron jogging back towards us.

He jumped into the car, which he'd left running, threw his seatbelt on and shifted it into reverse. "Okay, lady and gentlemen, let's get the fuck outta here and party 'til we can't party anymore."


	5. Chapter Five

(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

 **Chapter Five**

 _ **Daron**_

I pulled into my driveway, switched off the ignition and quickly got out of the car, not bothering to wait on John, Serj, or Arianna. I walked the short distance to the front door & entered, leaving it open for them. I immediately headed up the staircase & to my bedroom, wanting to snort some of the coke in my pocket so bad I could already taste it draining down the back of my throat. I practically _ached_ for it.

I didn't bother to close my bedroom door. I walked over and plopped down on my bed, retrieving a small mirror and razorblade from the small drawer of my bedside table. Setting the mirror on the table, I carefully poured out about two lines worth of my white gold and straightened them out. Then, I pulled a twenty out of my wallet and rolled it up to use it as a makeshift straw.

I snorted the first line in one quick sweep and immediately started feeling the wonderful effects. My heartbeat accelerated as my blood, brain and body surged as one. My nose and sinus cavity began to go splendidly numb. I quickly did the second line up my other nostril, and, tipping my head back, I roughly rubbed my nose in a circular motion and snorted deeply, tasting it in the back of my throat.

Carefully balancing the bag of coke and razorblade on the mirror, I stood, heading for the stairs. What kind of host would I be if I were unwilling to share? And I'd bought plenty enough to go around.

I headed down the stairs and, glancing into the living room, saw that Shavo, Morgan and Rachel were still involved in their pool game. Morgan was in her bra & underwear-a light blue lacy number-and Shavo & Rachel were very much nude. I wasn't surprised to see that Rachel's breasts were as fake as her hair color. It didn't matter much to me, though; any squeezable tit was still a tit in my book. Laughing lightly, I continued on to the kitchen.

John was seated at the island table rolling a blunt while Serj and Arianna stood over by the sink, talking quietly to each other. My eyes lingered momentarily on her. Damn, she was beautiful, and sexy beyond belief. Her cheekbones were high; her eyes alluring, her dark hair framed her features and contrasted with her fair, light skin. She had a slender waist & thick thighs, muscles nicely toned, and from the side her ass was especially amazing.

I walked over to the island table and sat across from John, placing the mirror on the table top. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Serj gently tuck a lock of Arianna's hair back behind her ear.

For a split, and confusing second, I felt pangs of both anger and jealousy wriggling around in the pit of my stomach. _But why?_ My eyes narrowed. Was I actually jealous of Serj? Why not? Arianna was gorgeous, and Serj obviously had the hots for her. I didn't want her to be interested in Serj, though. I wanted her for myself, plain and simple. I wanted to be the one standing beside her, touching her face, her skin, her body. I wanted to be close to her, running my hands through her hair. And to be inside her; _Ohh,_ I could only imagine what that would be like. Utter bliss…

Who knew? Maybe tonight I would get lucky. If I stepped up my game, she'd probably pick me over him. Or maybe she'd fuck us both?

 _Hmm...no;_ She didn't seem like that type of chick, didn't give off those particular vibes; not like Rachel, whom I was one hundred percent positive I would be fucking before the night was over. No, something about Arianna shouted innocence, faithfulness; a quality I'd never possessed. Maybe, besides her natural beauty, that was what intrigued me the most about her, the thrill of the chase. I was so used to fast women, ones that would let me get in there pants with no effort on my side except my say so. Something different and reserved would be nice for a change.

I idly wondered if Arianna was still a virgin. Probably not, but you never knew. If she was, maybe I'd be lucky enough to change that. If I could be fortunate enough to make her mine, just for the night. If only…

John tapped me on the shoulder and my brain quickly snapped back from the thoughts of my dilemma. He was trying to pass me the lit blunt. "Hey, you alright?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I took the blunt from his fingers. "Yep, just fine."

He may have noticed me staring at Arianna; he held a stern look on his face. "Okay."

I ignored the suspicion in his eyes and hit the blunt very deeply a few times, then walked over and handed it to Arianna.

She looked at me and offered a small smile. "Oh, thanks."

"Of course," I replied as I watched her inhale the inebriating smoke. "Hey, do you want a line?"

Arianna looked at me and pondered my question for a second. I was disappointed when she shook her head, but also a little turned on by the way her long, loose curls bounced slightly. I wanted to grasp her hair tightly & pull her head back as I took her roughly from behind. "No, thank you, I shouldn't."

"Ah, come on. One little line isn't going to hurt you." My smile widened as I tried to persuade her. I had found through many past experiences that women were much more inclined to fuck when they had some coke stimulating their brain.

"Nah." She shook her head again as she handed the blunt to Serj. "Thanks for the offer, but I prefer to stick with the weed & drink."

"Suit yourself," I said lightly, giving her a playful grin. "Do you want another shot, then?"

A small grin played on her luscious lips. "Sure."

I glanced at Serj and couldn't miss the brooding stare he was giving me, like he could sense my intentions. I brushed it aside and narrowed my eyes at him, but only for a second. "You want one, too?"

He didn't smile. "Yeah, sure."

I flashed him a cocky grin before walking over to the cabinet to get myself a shot glass. I turned back around to see Serj leading Arianna over to the table, holding her hand. He sat down on the side I had just been at and she sat down beside him, leaving the only empty seat beside John. He was, very blatantly, trying to prevent me from making any type of move on her. _Cock-blocking bastard._

I returned to the table, not letting my irritation show on my face or be heard in my voice. I grabbed the liquor bottle and poured all four of us a shot, not bothering to ask John if he cared for another; if he didn't, mine would become a double.

Serj gave the blunt to John and then picked up a shot for both him and Arianna. He handed hers to her with a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Why thank you, Mr. Tankian," she said playfully, downing it and scrunching her face a little from the burn of it. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, then opened them and ran a hand slowly through her hair.

My cock twitched in my pants every time she did that. "Something the matter," I asked, taking the blunt John handed me.

Arianna's gaze met mine and I found her bright green eyes very enticing. "No, I'm just feeling kinda, sorta.. tipsy." She swayed in her seat slightly and glanced down with a smile when Serj rested a hand on her leg. To my dismay, she entwined her fingers with his.

I tried my damnedest to not let the boiling feeling that surged throughout me reach the surface, especially when Serj glanced at me with what seemed like determination in his eyes; I think I was mostly successful.

"Hey, do you still wanna play Guitar Hero?" Arianna tapped her free hand on the table suddenly, looking at John.

His eyes brightened. "Hell yeah I do, I forgot all about it." He laughed lightly as he stood up. "We better get this showdown started before I get any tipsier and can't see straight."

"I know, right." She laughed heartily, also rising. Serj stood, too. Was he going to follow her around all fucking night? It seemed like he was determined to make sure I didn't even get one minute alone with her.

I greedily watched Arianna's plump ass sway as the three of them proceeded into the living room. _Damn, I wanna fuck this girl tonight!_ Deciding to do another line, I busted out a fat one and hungrily snorted it before following after them.

 _ **Serj**_

I held onto Arianna's hand as I led her into the living room.

She plopped down on the sofa and leaned her head back to rest. As I sat down beside her I wanted very badly to lean forward and kiss the smooth, soft skin of her neck; to endlessly caress her and keep her in my protective embrace. Not wanting to seem too forward, I settled for laying a gentle hand on her leg.

She rested her hand on top of mine and opened her eyes, looking into mine.

I couldn't help the smile that flittered across my lips. Every time I looked into those meadow-green eyes, I saw fireworks. Planets collided and galaxies shrank into nothing, her beauty completely captivated me so.

"What's wrong?" Arianna asked, sitting up straight but still holding my hand against her.

I allowed my fingers to slowly caress her leg. "Absolutely nothing." _Nothing could ever be wrong when you're with me, my dear…_

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I noticed Daron sauntering into the room. Agitation threatened to ruin my feeling of loving peacefulness. How dare that bastard try to persuade her to join in on his snort-fest, most likely with the idea that if he got her coked up and drunk enough, she'd sleep with him. I'd beat his face in before I ever let him use her like that. She was too sweet, caring and deserved so much more than what his intentions were capable of offering.

"Okay, good." Arianna giggled and the sound of it instantly soothed me. She looked over at John. "Hurry up, grandpa. Time's a wastin'."

He glanced back at her and scowled. "Grandpa? I'm only thirty-two. What a shot to the ego." He stood and handed her a guitar controller. "How old are you?"

Arianna sat forward and took the controller. "A true gentleman never asks a lady her age."

John sighed playfully. "Okay, then say I'm the biggest freaking asshole you've ever met. Would you tell me then?"

She stood up and _tsk-tsked_ at him, but remained smiling all the same. "I'm twenty-eight, I'll be twenty-nine in November."

That new knowledge took me aback. At thirty-eight, I was ten years her senior. It wasn't the hugest age gap, but then again, it wasn't the smallest, either. It certainly didn't make me care any less for her, and I desperately hoped she wouldn't be bothered by it.

"See there," John said, using his controller to turn the Xbox 360 on. "I'm only a few years older than you, so don't go calling me a grandpa."

Arianna stepped up a few paces so that she was standing beside him. "Point observed and noted, good sir."

I scooted over towards the end of the couch for a better view of the television screen.

Daron, with a cigarette in one hand and a blunt in the other, sat down on the opposite end of the sectional. He didn't, or wouldn't, look at me. I got the feeling he was purposefully trying to put distance between us, and didn't really give a damn.

The game started and John began strumming through the list of songs. "What do you wanna play first?"

"Uhm..." She looked at the selection as he continued down the list. "Oh, there! Let's play 'Re-Ignition', start out with something easy."

"Alright." John selected the song and the game proceeded to the loading screen.

"You like this song?" Daron asked Arianna.

She glanced back at him, her beautiful curls bouncing freely. "I love this song."

"Right on." He got up and handed the blunt to me. I accepted it but refused to meet his gaze as well, I didn't want to see anything in his expression that would potentially spoil my mood worst than he had already succeeded in doing. I noticed the song had begun and looked back at the TV.

"Let's make a deal," John said with mischief tingeing his voice. "The loser of whichever hardest song we play has to make the winner breakfast in the morning."

"Deal. Now shut the hell up and quit trying to distract me," she laughed in response.

She began slightly bouncing up and down in rhythm to the music, and I couldn't help my gaze wandering down to her rear. It was so deliciously rounded. I took in the voluptuousness of her body, how her narrow waistline was accentuated by the fullness of her hips. The lovely sight of her made my groin throb in my pants and I found myself biting down on my lower lip like a horny schoolboy.

Quickly I returned my gaze to the television and tried to focus my mind on the game so that I wouldn't become rock hard. They were both doing a good job, even though both of their reaction times had to have been impaired by the alcohol and weed.

"I'm so going to beat you," John teased, grinning wide and wickedly.

"Yeah, right," she replied with a smile to match his.

The song neared its end and their scores came up on-screen. John got ninety-five percent and Arianna got ninety-seven.

"Hahaha, close but no cigar," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. "Guess you just weren't fast enough, grandpa!"

He laughed. "Hey, it isn't over 'til it's over. Best two out of three?"

"Alright, sure," she responded.

They played a few more songs, but in the end Arianna came out on top.

"Woohoo!" She threw her hands up in the air. "I rock and you suck, the game even says so!"

He offered her a lop-sided smirk. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Arianna smiled sweetly and held out her hand to him. "Still friends?"

John shook her hand as his face softened. "Of course."

"Yay," she said softly, seemingly more to herself than to him.

"I wanna play," Daron spoke up, standing.

John started to hand over his guitar, but instead Arianna handed him hers. "Here, take mine." She turned to look at me. "I've got cotton-mouth like you wouldn't believe. Could I have some water or somethin'?"

I jumped to my feet. "Yeah, of course."

"Damn, Arianna! Thanks for throwing me to the big, bad wolf," John called out as we walked towards the doorway. Daron howled for dramatic effect.

"I'm sorry," she replied, her voice rife with laughter. "Oh, and I like my eggs scrambled, bacon extra crispy and apple butter on my toast."

 _ **Arianna**_

We entered the kitchen and Serj walked over to the refrigerator, removed two bottles of water and handed one of them to me.

"Thank you," I smiled politely, unscrewing the lid and drinking a few gulps down.

"Better?" Serj asked, taking a swallow from his own bottle.

"Definitely," I nodded. I sat my bottle down on the counter and walked over to the sink. My hands had gotten a little sweaty from playing the game and I wanted to wash the griminess away. After doing so, I dried my hands on my pants leg in lieu of looking for an alternative. Looking back up, I noticed several little mechanical figurines placed on the window sill above the sink. I carefully picked one up and studied how intricate the detail was. It was constructed of metal and wood, and appeared to be hand-made.

I was so lost in the little metallic wonders that I didn't even notice Serj had moved to stand behind me until I felt his arms encircle my waist. I turned around to face him, our bodies only inches apart.

He looked down at me through soft, dark eyes. Mysterious eyes, although the expression on his face was calm, non-threatening. He gazed at me through hooded lids, wondering, yearning.

Enticing.

I let my eyes drop down to his lips for a second, then flicker back up to meet his gaze. God, how I wanted those lips on mine! But I felt too timid to initiate anything…

In the next instant, to my amazement, Serj pulled me closer to him and kissed me so tenderly, so passionately, that I felt my heart swell and something much like fire seemed to surge throughout my body, even to touch the tip of my toes! Every nerve ending I had seemed to tingle simultaneously. Then he pulled back suddenly, his eyes searching mine, as if silently asking if what he had just done was okay.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his lips back to my own. Our kiss deepened as he trailed his tongue along my lower lip and I opened my mouth wider, allowing him access. Time seemed to stand still as he held me and our tongues slowly danced together.

His arms tightened around me and he caressed my back with his hands. I loved the way he made me feel wrapped in his embrace; I felt so safe and secure. And perhaps it was the inebriants amplifying my own feelings, but I could almost swear that I felt waves of caring affection, concern, and especially love emanating from Serj to engulf me whenever he was near me, whenever he gazed upon me, touched me tenderly and especially when he kissed me. And what a fabulous kisser he was! I couldn't remember ever having this overwhelming sensation of passion and adoration with any of the kisses from my past as I did with him.

A soft moan escaped me and it definitely seemed to egg him on. He kissed me even deeper and slowly started backing me up. Dipping his hands down, he easelessly hoisted me on to the counter top without breaking our kiss. He stood very close to me, so close that I could feel his hardening member throbbing against me. It sent shivers of the most pleasantly seductive kind up my spine, caused the heat and primal desire inside of me to flare even hotter.

His lips left mine to trail wonderfully down my throat, where he kissed, sucked and caressed my tender flesh. I tilted my head to the side to allow him better access. I moaned again, a little louder, as I put a hand to the back of his head, encouraging him to keep going. Little did he know that my neck was a major hot-spot.

Serj continued, kissing his way to the other side of my neck and running a hand through my hair.

I squeezed my legs together more tightly, pulling him even closer, because I ached to feel his hardness against me. Serj groaned as he returned his mouth to mine and placed both of his hands on either side of my face, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. The way he kissed me, the pure tenderness of it, made me feel that there was no mistaking that it was infused with so much more than just lust.

I slowly slid a hand up his shirt, across his abs and rested it over his heart. I desperately wished that I could know the thoughts that were running through his mind, to be able to feel what he was feeling.

"Whoa! What's going on in here?"

We both froze and looked over at the doorway. Serj's hands still held my face and my hand was up his shirt, still tantalizing his skin.

Shavo stood there, barefoot and wearing only a pair of black Tripp shorts.

"Is something the matter?" Serj was a little out of breath, his voice flustered.

"Uhh, nope," Shavo grinned, taking a few steps forward. "We're all gathered in there," he gestured towards the living room, "and decided that we wanna take this party up a notch. Would you two care to join us?"

Serj, hesitating slightly, I noticed, let his hands fall from my face. He didn't back away, though. "Um, yeah, sure."

"Alright," Shavo replied, heading for the door. He paused and glanced back at me. "Oh, and consider this one, paid in full, Virginia."

I offered a meek smile and nodded. Damn, I had to admit that he'd gotten me good. "Touché."

With a devilish grin, he turned and left the room.

"Wow." Serj laughed lightly, and then looked at me. He rested his hands on my legs. "You wanna," he asked softly, inclining his head towards the living room. His lips twisted into a half-sided smirk. God, he made me melt inside whenever he gave me that look.

I felt unsure, insecure. I didn't want to start something like we had just shared and then stop it abruptly for fear that he'd be put off and lose whatever interest he'd found in me. But I had also never, ever slept with someone on the same day as meeting them. I didn't care for having casual sex with people, be it one-night stands or having a fuck buddy. Promiscuity in general was a turn-off. For me, sex without love was pointless. Meaningless. I also had a very bad habit of falling too hard and too fast for guys that I'd been with in the past. They hadn't shared my passion and, like every other decent girl in the world, I'd ended up with a broken heart, repeatedly. I was so tired of the feeling. No, I needed to guard my fragile heart. Maybe Shavo interrupting us had been a good thing, after all.

Don't get me wrong, though. I liked Serj, liked him a _whole_ lot, and not just because he was the lead singer of System of a Down. Since the very moment I'd met him, he'd been nothing but kind, considerate, sweet and gentle. And he seemed so genuine. But I knew better than most that you could never judge a book by its cover, no matter how courteous, compassionate and honest it seemed. For all I knew, he could've been a highly experienced lady's man working his magic on me now. He was famous, after all, and must have had women flinging themselves at him on a daily basis.

No matter how desperately I wanted to believe he was truly as genuine as he seemed, I knew I had to protect my heart at all costs. Even though my body craved his and my mind told me to trust him, I could feel my heart locking itself deep away. I had been hurt so many times before and didn't want to experience it ever again. _I will have fun tonight, make the most of it, live it up, but I will not go past the point of no return._

"You okay?" I saw worry etched into the corners of his eyes.

I quickly nodded and gave him a bright smile.

His eyes searched mine and I felt like he could sense my confusion, my self-doubt. His lips spread into a smile and his hand reached up to caress my cheek. "It's okay. Come on, let's go."

He helped me down from the counter and despite my concerns I couldn't stop myself from kissing him again; one short, sweet, emotion-filled kiss.

Gazing into my eyes, he murmured something in Lebanese before taking my hand and leading me towards the living room.

I had a nagging bad feeling that deciding to lock my heart away and not trust him was a huge, saddening mistake.


	6. Chapter Six

(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

 **Chapter Six**

 _ **Serj**_

Damn, did I feel great! And it had nothing to do with the weed and liquor. Rather, this feeling stemmed from the gorgeous creature that was holding onto my hand like she never wanted to let go.

We entered the living room and I noticed that Shavo, Morgan and Rachel were all seated on one side of the wrap-around sectional. John was sitting on the opposite side with a DVD-case laying flat across his knees, rolling yet another blunt. Daron sat in his favorite reclining chair with a beer in hand and his little coke kit in his lap.

I sat down on the side John occupied, closer to the middle, and was pleasantly surprised when Arianna sank down sideways across my lap. Smiling at me, she hooked an arm around my neck and I placed a hand at the small of her back for stability. _At least if I get a hard-on, she'll be the only one to know._ As if on instinct, I entwined the fingers of my free hand with hers. She laid her head against my neck and I caught an alluring whiff of her flower-scented hair.

I didn't even need to glance over at Daron to feel his jealous glare trained upon us. _Take a hint you smug bastard. I will not allow you to hurt her, ever._

Arianna yawned softly, and then brought the back of my hand near her lips to plant a kiss there.

I smiled and flipped our hands around, giving her one right back. My thoughts drifted back to the kiss we had shared. Although cut short, it was the most erotic, passion-filled kiss I'd ever experienced. I kept replaying it over and over again in my mind and a very soothing, warm, excited feeling seemed to flow from my center and flood my body. I couldn't really explain it any better than it felt like we were two long-lost lovers, destined to find each other at the right time. In that instant I knew that I was deeply in love with her. And every time I gazed into those startling green eyes of hers, I truly believed I could feel that love being returned.

The look of befuddlement that had crossed her lovely face back in the kitchen troubled me, however. It seemed like she was still trying to figure me out, trying to decide if I was really genuinely interested in her, or only interested in getting in her pants. With wolves like Daron prowling around, that was completely understandable. Her suspicion didn't upset me, though. On the contrary, I was more determined than ever to prove to her that she had taken total possession of the key to my heart from the very moment she had walked into our dressing room back at the arena. It was up to her to unlock the door to a whole new world of incredible possibilities and actualities.

I began to stroke her back, gently massaging her. Arianna pressed herself even closer to me and turned her head to press a soft kiss on my neck. Closing my eyes, I leaned into her kisses, silently urging her to continue. She did, teasing my skin with every light peck of her lips, and I wondered if she could feel my groin throbbing in my pants beneath her, aching to please her all night long. She wriggled her hips around a bit, pressing her round ass into me.

I buried my fingers in her hair and held her just a little closer to my neck. She sucked in on my skin for a few seconds, then gave just the smallest of licks. Involuntarily I took in a sharp breath of air. "Do you have any idea what you do to me," I asked in a low voice, nearly a whisper, and moved my hand to caress her soft cheek.

Arianna lifted her head and gazed into my eyes. Smiling, she shook her head. "No, but I hope it's good."

I caught hold of one of her curls and tugged at it gently. "Oh, it's very good. Excellent. Extraordinary."

Her smile widened and she pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek.

"Here, you wanna play?" Shavo had walked over to us and was holding the guitar controller out towards her.

 _Wow_. I was so wrapped up in her, I hadn't even noticed that the game was still being played, hadn't even really heard the music. Just simply… _wow._ I was amazed at how easy it was for Arianna to overtake my mind so completely, without her even realizing she was doing it.

"Um, yeah, sure. I think I may be able to get through a few more without fuckin' 'em up too badly," she replied, slowly getting up off of my lap. I quickly sat up and straightened my pants out so that my hard-on wouldn't be too noticeable. I immediately missed the warmth of her body and how good she felt stretched across my lap.

After hitting the blunt Shavo held out to her and then handing it to me, she took her place beside John. "Ready for round two, mothafucka'?" she teased him.

John grinned. "Bring it on. Remember: It isn't over 'til it's over."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied, throwing the guitar's strap over her shoulder. "As I recall, you said the same thing last time, and look what happened. I doubt this'll be any different."

He flashed her a cocky grin. "We'll see."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Daron called out, rushing over. "Before you guys start, here." He held out the half-depleted bottle of gin between them, but the gesture was definitely directed more towards Arianna.

"Uhm," she hesitated, unsure; whether from simply deciding to consume more alcohol or not, or from feeling uncomfortable because Daron had been offering her coke and shot after shot for the past few hours now, I wasn't sure. "Yeah, "spose one more can't hurt. Got a glass?"

"Just drink it from the bottle," Daron responded with a small laugh, twisting the top off and handing it to her. Everyone probably thought he was just trying to be generous, but I knew him better than that.

 _Fucking douchebag, you just don't know when to quit._

"Uh, okay," she shrugged her shoulders lazily and swallowed a solid gulp down, then made a slight face.  
"Ewh! You don't have the herps or something else equally life-altering, do you?" John exclaimed, mock-disgust plastered on his face.

Smirking, she stuck her finger in her mouth and proceeded with a quickness to run it down the side of his face. "Yeah, yah want some?"

John wiped his face dramatically with the sleeve of his black shirt and grimaced. "Ew, you nasty little heifer!"

Arianna laughed joyfully. "Well, that's what yah get for talkin' so much shit earlier!"

"Mhm," he replied defiantly with a rueful grin. "Okay, so its games you wanna play? Alright, just wait. I'll get you back when you least expect it. Just wait."

She huffed and rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, grandpa, I'll be waitin', holdin' my precious breath."

Laughing despite himself, John took the bottle from her hands. "Give me that." He took a deep swallow and then passed it back to me.

I drank a little, letting the burning liquid slither down my throat, then held the bottle out to Rachel. When she leaned over to grab it, I averted my eyes from the deep fissure of cleavage that was exposed. She flashed me what I guessed was her most seductive smile. I returned it meekly.

"Having fun, Mr. Tankian?" she said, batting her dramatic, fake lashes and slowly crossing one thin, bronzed leg over the other.

"Oh course," I replied lightly, keeping my voice even and friendly even though her attempts at flirting did nothing for me except make me feel uncomfortable. "And please, just call me Serj." It was only cute when Arianna called me Mr. Tankian.

"Alright, Serj," Rachel amended, still smiling.

I silently urged her to stop attempting to seduce me. I only had eyes for one woman here tonight, and even if I'd not been fortunate enough to meet Arianna, I would still never be interested in Rachel. She was exactly the type of woman I disliked most; a high-maintenance, arrogant, promiscuous type of woman that wore too much make-up and walked around with her breasts on display for everyone, as if portraying yourself that way could solve all of her problems. Women like that often did not possess a mind.Arianna could be shaved bald and wearing the most unflattering sweat-suit she could find and still be more beautiful to me than this girl could ever make herself up to be.

I looked away from Rachel, not caring in particular if she took offense to my rejection, and returned my gaze to Arianna. She and John were currently playing a song called 'Suffocated' by Orianthi. My eyes were drawn to her perfectly rounded backside again as she danced and swayed to the beat of the music. I loved the way it was so greatly accentuated by her small waistline and thick thighs. I fantasized about how amazing those lovely thighs would feel wrapped around my head…

John purposefully bumped into her, causing her to lose the song's rhythm and miss a couple of notes.

"Hey! No cheating, you asshole," she exclaimed, bumping him right back.

"Sorry," he snickered. "My foot slipped."

"On carpet? Yeah right." Her wide grin was incredulous.

I was thrilled with how well the two of them were getting along. He was one of my closest friends, after all. With the way the two of them carried on, you'd think _they_ had been best friends for years. I think the main reason why it made me so happy was because I knew that she was safe with him. John had been in an exclusive, happy relationship with his girlfriend Nanami for almost five  & a half years now, and I knew that he would never cheat on her; he had never been that sort of guy. He'd even been talking to us about proposing to her soon, now that the tour was finally over. And even if he were single, I know he'd never do anything to hurt me; he was not that heartless.

I trusted Shavo in that regard as well. Earlier I'd pulled him to the side and briefly spoke to him about the situation, about all of the feelings I'd experienced since meeting Arianna. He'd then admitted to me that he felt attracted to her, too, but it was merely physical and he would not let it come to be an issue. Once I'd fully explained to him how I felt about her, he told me he would not stand as an obstacle between us, telling me: _"If you feel that strongly about her, I say go for it, dude. Don't squander the things this night may bring by letting self-doubt overwhelm you"._ He joked around about ninety-five percent of the time, but I knew I could trust him; he'd always been a very loyal friend to me as well.

Daron, on the other hand, was a different story. Out of the three others in the band besides myself, I felt the least amount of closeness to him nowadays. There had not always been this much animosity between us, though. Back when our band was first getting off its feet, we had all been the best of friends, always there for the other to lean on. There were a lot of good times. Then, as we started becoming more and more popular, we started earning more and more money, and, naturally, we started partying more often, thoroughly enjoying our success. Time progressed as it only knows how to do, and over a few years, Daron developed his debilitating addiction to cocaine. It was stunning, really, and quite sad how it completely changed him. The nice, easy-going guy I had known since my early adulthood was eaten alive by the angry, impulsive, promiscuous monster he was today. The coke made him so obnoxious and crude that I almost couldn't stand to be around him most of the time anymore. I had tried for the longest time to remain a good friend to him and try to help him through it, but damn did he make it difficult.

Out of his flaws, the one thing that hurt me the most was how he jokingly mocked me for not being more like him, especially when it came to seemingly anything of a sexual nature. I had never found having a lot of sex with many different women very enjoyable, and more importantly, very right, even back in my youth when hormones tended to rage uncontrollably. Out of all of us, Daron had really let the fame go to his head. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy living up to the rock star image cliché, doing drugs all day and bedding a different woman nearly every night. He treated women like they were not flesh & blood human beings but material objects, there only for his enjoyment, and when he got bored he'd toss her aside and move on to the next one.

It disgusted me to my very core. I was raised to treat women with respect and dignity for the beautifully complex creatures that they were, not use their bodies just for sex and then throw them away like trash in the gutter. No, in my opinion, the way that Daron led his life was a very miserable one indeed.

I desperately craved what John and Nanami had, the one thing that was missing from my life: true love. I wanted a woman that I could call my own, one that I would love unconditionally, trust and cherish with every part of my soul.

 _Arianna._

The thought of her brought me back to the present.

She was still standing beside John playing Guitar Hero, laughing and joking with him. The sound of her care-free giggling was such sweet music to my ears. The sight of her gorgeous, angelic face framed by dark, satiny curls and her luscious, curvy body I craved. I adored her sweet and loving, yet sassy personality. And her eyes, those bright-green depths that shined like emeralds, I could lose myself in them for hours on end. I loved everything about her and knew that I needed to tell her exactly how I felt, no matter how fearful it made me. But when, exactly? And how?

 _ **Daron**_

 _Dayum!_

I stared hungrily at Arianna's ass as she and John continued to play Guitar Hero.

She swayed with the beat of the music, bobbing her hips around slightly. My mouth watered just a little and my dick twitched in my pants.

I felt someone tap me on the shoulder and I glanced their way. It was Morgan, trying to pass the blunt to me. I took it, sat back and looked around the room for a moment as I took a long pull from it.

Shavo was nestled in between Morgan and Rachel on the side of the wrap-around couch closest to me. They were all drunkenly talking amongst themselves and glancing at the television every so often.

Serj was seated on the other half of the couch, still sipping on the depleting bottle of liquor he held in his hand.

I noticed that he was also watching Arianna's tight, rounded ass. So much so, in fact, that he didn't even notice me looking at him. _See, you're no different than me, Mr. Tankian. You might try to act all sweet and innocent and romantic, but the truth is you wanna fuck her just as badly as I do._ Smiling defiantly, I prepared myself another line, snorted it and then hit the hell out of the blunt again.

Waving a hand in the air, I caught Shavo's attention and gestured for him to hand me the other liquor bottle currently in his possession. I traded him the blunt I had in mine and chugged down a couple solid gulps, not even really feeling the burn of it. I was fucked up way beyond the point of feeling feelings and loving every minute of it.

I got up and moved over to my stereo system, pushed a button and fast-paced music greeted my ears. The music emanating from the speakers over-powered the game's sound from the television. Everyone looked over at me and I smiled devilishly. Interrupting their game was a dick-move, I admit, but I didn't much feel like being Mr. Nice Guy right now. The coke had my brain soaring a mile a minute and I wanted to move. Everyone looked over at me as I began pumping my fist in the air and nodding my head.

Shavo laughed loudly and got to his feet. "You look like a dance-club reject!" He put a hand in Rachel and Morgan's and pulled them to their feet. "Come on, ladies. Let's dance."

"Woohoo," Rachel called out, sauntering over to me. She was drunk off her ass and I was surprised she could still walk semi-straight.

After dimming the lights, I took her hand in mine and smiled widely when she started grinding up against me. I kissed her hard, grabbing a tit with one hand and her ass with my other. With my eyes closed, I imagined that it was Arianna I was kissing and fondling.

"Mmmm," Rachel murmured when I stopped kissing her. "More!"

"Hang on a second." My voice came out a little harsher than I'd intended, but it didn't seem to faze her. Reaching down, she grabbed my dick through my pants and planted a few sloppy kisses on my cheek, neck and chest.

Doing my best to ignore her, I looked over and saw that John had turned the game and television off, and Arianna was placing the two guitar controllers back in there designated spot. "Hey, Arianna, come dance!"

Glancing over, she held a small smile on her lips and a playful glint in her eyes. "Okay."

 _That's right baby. Come to papa._ I got prepared to push Rachel away when I saw Arianna take a few steps forward, but a flare of anger soon ensued instead when she stopped, turned and hooked a seductive index finger at Serj. He jumped to his feet and came to her, taking her hand in his and sensually placing a kiss there.

It made me want to vomit. I watched bitterly as she led him over to our make-shift dance floor, tugging him along. He stood behind her, running his hands down the sides of her torso and resting them on her hips. She closed her eyes and rubbed her ass against him slowly while he kissed and nuzzled her neck. They were both swaying together very slowly, definitely much slower than the thumping beat of the industrial metal that currently blasted from my stereo's speakers.

God, I wanted to punch Serj in his face! I wanted so badly for that to be me dancing with Arianna; her sexy frame pressed up against my own, running my hands all over her body, kissing her…

What in the _fuck_ did Serj have that I didn't? That's what I really wanted to know. We were both very talented musicians, could sing very well, and were good-looking, in shape, rich, famous and successful. What in the hell did she find so appealing about him that she couldn't easily see in me as well?

 _ **Arianna**_

God, it felt so great to be pressed up against Serj's lean, muscular body; I felt so happy and content and…safe. It sounded strange, even to me, but I felt like this is where I was meant to be all of my life; wrapped in Serj's arms.

Our bodies swayed as one, totally going against the beat of the music. His hands on my hips were warm and comforting, and the things he could do to my neck! I seriously doubted if I'd wake up tomorrow without a splattering of hickies covering that vicinity.

I lifted my arm up, gently caressing his cheek and letting a soft moan escape my lips so that only he could hear.

Serj ran a gentle finger across my jaw slowly and then trailed it down my neck to circle my breast.

It set me aflame inside and I struggled to stifle another moan. I pressed my backside more firmly against him, thoroughly enjoying the effect I was having on him. I could feel him getting harder and harder as each minute ticked by.

Serj returned his hands to my waist and gently but firmly grinded himself against me. He whispered something in Armenian into my ear. I hadn't the slightest idea what he'd said, but whatever it was sounded so sweet, so sincere, so heart-felt that I didn't even feel the need to question it.

Leaning my head back on his shoulder so that our cheeks were touching, I closed my eyes and let the moment overtake me. It felt like there wasn't anyone else in this room, in this house, or even on this planet except for Serj and me. I absolutely savored the feeling of his warm body; let it completely envelop me. I took both of his hands in mine and slowly raised them above us, then brought them back down and wrapped his arms around me.

Serj held me close to him and nuzzled his face against my hair, then my neck, placing a couple of tender kisses there. He kissed up my neck to my cheek and I turned my head to the side, yearning to feel his lips on my own. He obliged, kissing me slowly, gently and passionately.

I felt myself beginning to get wet. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his body tightly against mine. My lips returned to his hungrily and I could feel his rock-hard erection poking me. He felt so _big,_ and it turned me on even more. I wanted him so bad, worse than I'd ever wanted anybody else before.

One of his hands moved down slowly and cupped my rear and his lips moved to caress my neck once more. It was as if both of our brains were on the same wave-length and he knew that it drove me crazy.

Another moan escaped me, this one louder than the previous, and I didn't really care if anyone else heard. I raised my leg up and he moved his free hand to hold it, his other still gripping my backside.

In this excitedly pleasurable position I could feel the fullness of his hardening desire and it was very closely pushing me over the edge. "Serj," I murmured. "I..."

All of a sudden the lights brightened back up and the music stopped. The illuminated harshness stung my eyes and I closed them for a few seconds. When my eyes adjusted, I glanced around the room. My gaze found Daron's and the mixed expressions of anger and revulsion on his face, quite frankly, chilled me to the bone.

"I'm bored, you guys," he said. "Let's do something else." He all but spat the last sentence out and was glaring right at me when he'd said it.

My hold on Serj tightened automatically, as if my subconscious were trying to tell him how threatened I felt, even without my permission. No valid reason occurred to me as to why Daron would be leering at us, or, more specifically, at me, with what I had to assume was hate in his eyes. I hadn't done anything at all to him to deserve it.

Serj, who had moved his hands so that he was holding me around my torso once more, placed a tender kiss on my forehead. It immediately comforted me and I let my head fall to rest on his chest. I didn't want to see the look on Daron's face so I closed my eyes and concentrated on Serj's heartbeat.

It was a little fast, as was mine. I listened harder and was surprised to discover that our hearts seemed to be beating in almost the same simultaneous rhythm. That couldn't be right, though. How could both of our hearts be beating as if they were one? That was impossible; had to have just been my impaired mind playing tricks on me.

"What'd you have in mind, bro," Shavo spoke up. I thought I heard a small hint of frustration seeping from his voice, but he was trying to hide it.

I glanced over at him to discover that he and Morgan had been dancing together, and he was now holding her much the same way Serj held me.

Looking the other way for a second, my eyes searched for John, but didn't turn up much luck. I wondered where he had run off to. Daron spoke up again and I decided to take a chance…

"I don't know." Daron's voice had softened considerably and his eyes had lost their sharp, eerie edge. He threw a sly smirk on his face, as if realizing how harsh he had seemed just a moment ago. "What do you guys wanna do?"

"You know what I want to do," Rachel slurred, throwing her arms around his neck. She arched her back, pushing her fake breasts into his chest and poking her rear out. Her already short dress had rode up even farther during the course of their dancing, almost to the point where you could see the lower half of her butt cheeks. _Classy._

Daron wrapped one arm around her torso and grabbed her ass with the other. "Give it a little time, baby; we'll get there. Just be patient." He glanced over at me, eyebrows raised and a cocky grin on his face, as if to be silently saying: _'This could be you right now.'_

Shivering slightly, I quickly glanced away and buried my face against Serj's neck again. I didn't kiss him there; just wanted to feel the comfort it offered. Daron's not-so-subtle advances were beginning to make me feel more and more weirded out. I just wished he would stop; take the hint I was trying to convey. I was not interested in him now, nor would I ever be. I knew his type all too well, had been with guys like him too many times before in the past. All he was after was my body, not my heart. That much I could see in his eyes. I hated how he was always staring at me greedily, like I was an injured, trapped gazelle and he was a wild lion waiting to come devour me in the moment of his leisure. Well, it was never going to happen.

What I craved most was love; true, unconditional, unwavering love. Not casual sex with a crude, obnoxious guy that obviously didn't have my best interests at heart, a guy that had been trying to feed me drugs ever since I'd met him. I guessed that because he was wealthy and famous he thought he could get any girl he wanted with ease, and he probably did most of the time. But I wasn't just any girl. I had wishes, aspirations, dreams and morals. I had been through hell on Earth and had the scars to prove it. And I possessed a tender, loyal heart that had been so badly damaged in the past, it left me afraid to let anyone else get too close for fear that if things took a turn for the worse, it may just be my undoing. He was a heartless heartbreaker and I was so through with experiencing that saddening, depressing, self-loathing feeling over and over again. I'd rather just be alone for the rest of my days on Earth.

As if sensing my uneasiness, Serj tightened his arm around me and gently rubbed my head with his other hand. The gesture unexplainably made me feel instant peace and comfort. I could feel my heart trying to reach out and stroke his.

"How about we watch a movie or something?" The sudden sound of Morgan's friendly voice eased my mind back to the present. I turned my head and saw her gently tugging Shavo over to the couch. "Got anything funny?"

"Got any porn," Rachel added, still hanging on to Daron.

"How about we go make our own porn," he said, his voice low and dripping with seduction.

"Oh, yeah!" Grabbing his hand, Rachel started heading towards the door. She walked rather unsteadily and as they passed by she drunkenly trailed her fingers against my hair. "God, your hair is fabulous! Ever thought about dying it, maybe spicing it up a little?"

I didn't turn to face them, nor did I answer her. I just wanted the two of them to go away; far, far away from me.

Rachel tapped me on the shoulder, a little more roughly than I cared for. "Hey, did you hear what I sa—Oh, no..."

My body tensed as a sickening, retching sound suddenly assaulted my ears. I nearly threw up myself when the stench of it hit my nose. I felt the warm, disgustingly slimy contents of Rachel's stomach slowly running down through the lower portion of my hair, sprayed all over my back and trickling down the back of my pants.

"Ahh, fucking A, not on my carpet!" Daron called out, his voice whiny and, thankfully, far away.

Grabbing my hair and holding it to the side, I spun around, preparing to punch Rachel in her face. I made a split-second decision and hurried off to the kitchen instead. I rushed over to the sink, turned the water on and stuck my head under as soon as possible. The water was icy cold on my scalp, but I didn't care. I had to get this disgusting mess off of me as soon as possible.

Suddenly, I felt a hand touch my shoulder and I jumped. A wriggling fear in the back of my mind told me that it was Daron and to be honest, the thought of being alone with him scared the hell out of me.

"It's okay," Serj said softly. My heart soared at the sound of his comforting voice. "Here, let me help you."

I scooted back a step or two so that he could reach the ends more easily. My hair was very long and I was extremely grateful for his help. After my hair stopped feeling so slimy, I turned the water off and straightened up; a little too fast, it seemed, because I felt light-headed for several seconds.

"Are you okay?" Serj put a hand on my shoulder to help steady me.

I squeezed my eyes together tightly and then looked at him, grinning shyly. "Yeah, I'm alright, just in desperate need of a shower now."

Offering a small smile, he took the free hand that I wasn't using to hold my wet hair up with in his. "Okay. Come with me."


	7. Chapter Seven

(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

 **Chapter Seven**

 _ **Serj**_

"The bathroom's just through here." I pointed to the door on the wall that was adjacent to my bedroom closet. "There are clean linens on the shelf beside the sink."

"Okay, thank you," Arianna replied, walking towards my bathroom. She was still holding up her long, brown curls in one hand.

"You can just leave your clothes in the hamper if you want," I said. "I'll make sure they get washed."

"Alright," She flashed me a bright smile before softly closing the door behind her.

I stood there and listened for a few seconds longer, noticed that she hadn't locked the door behind her. I felt my cock throb in my pants as I heard the water turn on and I couldn't stop thinking about the naked Arianna currently in my shower.

I sat down on my bed and let the images of water glistening and bouncing off of her bare, luscious body overtake my mind; her supple breasts, thick, juicy rear, her wet…

 _Stop._ I needed to focus my mind on the present before my desire overcame me and I tried to walk in there and take her in the shower. _Hmmm, maybe she'd like that? Maybe…_

 _No!_ What needed to be done now? The vomit on the living room floor needed to be cleaned up, but surely someone had already tended to that by now. _Oh,_ I needed to go grab Arianna's duffel bag from downstairs. I assumed she had a spare change of clothes in it, and if not, she could always borrow something of mine.

I took in a deep breath before standing up so that I wouldn't get light-headed; the effects of the alcohol and weed I still felt very strongly. I didn't feel a bit sick, though. On the contrary, I felt elevated.

I exited my bedroom, softly closing the door behind me. As I drifted back down the staircase, the strong smell of bleach greeted my nose and I noticed a large dish towel had been spread over the area where Rachel had thrown up. I was careful not to step on it as I grabbed Arianna's bag and slung it over my shoulder. It had a bit of heft to it but wasn't very heavy it particular.

I started back towards the stairs, but then paused by the kitchen door. Shavo, John, Morgan and Daron were all seated around the island table. Shavo was pouring out four more shots and Daron was rolling another blunt.

"Aren't you guys all good and loaded by now?" A playful smile graced my lips as I took a few steps into the room.

They all glanced over at me.

"Now you know we keep going 'til we can't party anymore." Shavo replied with a grin. "You want another?"

I held up a hand. "Nah, no thanks. I'm good for right now."

"Pusssy," John teased, instantly reminding me of Arianna. I already missed being near her even though we hadn't been apart for more than ten minutes yet.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied dismissively, chuckling. "Where's Rachel?"

"Pukerella's in my bedroom, passed out," Daron replied with a harsh laugh, seemingly no concern for her readable in his expression. He looked over at Serj. "Where's Arianna?"

"Upstairs." I answered bluntly. It was none of his business where she was or what she was doing.

"Mhmm," Daron nodded and returned his gaze to the task in front of him, which had switched to doing another line.

 _Damn,_ I had lost count of how many I had seen him do today, but then again, that was nothing new. Honestly, I was surprised that he wasn't waking up with nosebleeds every morning. It was one thing to indulge every once in a while like John and I used to do, or even still do it every so often like Shavo does, but to use every day and as often as he did was very saddening to all of us. The drug had its hooks in him, very deeply. I had already reached and passed the point of feeling sorry for him, but I still desperately wanted him to get better. However, I refused to sit around holding his hand and telling him everything was going to be okay when we both knew it wasn't. He needed help, more help than John, Shavo or I could ever give him. We had all tried to convince him of that for the longest time, but just as the old saying goes, you can't help someone that doesn't want to help themselves.

"Serj!"

I could faintly hear Arianna's lovely voice drifting down the stairs over the droll of the stereo coming from the living room and excited giddiness immediately overcame me.

"Uh, oh," Shavo said, his voice teasing. "I hear Virginia calling you home."

Smiling like an idiot, I quickly turned, headed back toward the stairs and up to y bedroom door.

 _ **Arianna**_

"Ahh." I shut the water off and carefully climbed out of the shower. I felt so much better, not only because my hair was clean once again but because my entire being felt refreshed. I'd felt a renewing feeling ever since Serj had kissed me downstairs in the kitchen; I felt happy and safe whenever I was around him. I didn't know how else to describe the feeling. I still hardly knew him, but he exuded both protectiveness and kindness, two things I craved most in any relationship I was involved in.

I grabbed a towel from the cabinet beside the sink and wrapped it around my body, tucking it in the front, and then got a second one to dry my hair with. Afterwards it joined my soiled clothes in the laundry basket. My eyes searched Serj's medium-sized bathroom for a few seconds. I was a little surprised to find it extremely clean because, in general, most guys were not. I liked it, though. I was a neat-freak myself, so I could greatly respect his tidiness.

I cracked open the bathroom door to peer around his bedroom, but found it empty. Immediately I called out his name, fearful that Daron might "accidentally" stumble in on me. Even though I hadn't really known him long enough yet to make any judgments on a personal level, I had seen enough to know he was the type that didn't like to take no for an answer.

I desperately ached to feel Serj's comforting embrace, so that I'd know I would be safe.

Leaving the bathroom door slightly ajar, I walked back over to the mirror in front of the sink and used my hand to wipe some of the steam away. The girl staring back at me looked almost foreign for a few seconds, like it wasn't even me. Never in my life would I have dreamed I'd ever be lucky enough to meet System of a Down, one of my favorite bands on the planet, much less party with them! Or that any one of them (especially Serj Tankian!) would ever show the least bit of interest in someone as plain as me. He was freakin' famous; people as fortunate as him got to travel around the world, drove expensive cars and probably dated mostly supermodels.

My buzzed brain still didn't want to completely accept the fact that he seemed to like me just for me. Serj was so sweet; gentle, considerate and caring, maybe even the nicest guy I had ever had the pleasure of meeting in my entire life. I liked him, really liked him a lot. I was amazed at how much he had come to mean to me in such a short amount of time.

Noticing a few dark spots along my neck, I tilted my chin to get a better look. Hickies, of course. Why'd I have to bruise so easily? The sight of them flared something deep inside me to life and I couldn't help the pleasurable shiver that tingled up my spine. There was absolutely no doubt that I wanted him, very badly. And I was pretty damn sure he felt the same way about me. The thought of allowing him to make love to me tonight thrilled me to no end and also terrified me to death. I had never engaged in a one night stand with anyone before, especially on the very same day as meeting them. _Should I try to cast my awkwardness aside and just go with it on this, possibly the one and only night we'd get to spend together?_ My body screamed yes, but my heart still wasn't so sure.

I was becoming more nervous by the second as I mentally weighed all of the pros and cons of the situation I found myself in. I definitely liked him a lot, the feeling stemming far beyond just physical attraction, and I definitely wanted to make this a night neither one of us would ever forget. But what if in realty I was just being blinded by the alcohol, weed and my own overwhelming feelings for him? What if he didn't want anything more from me than just sex and all of his kindness was nothing more than an act, one that he was very experienced with using on naïve girls like me? What if he was just another sex-crazed guy like Daron, except a whole lot smoother in his wicked endeavors? My heart shuddered at the thought.

I closed my eyes and willed my restless mind back to a much more pleasant place, back to how nice he had been to me this entire evening. No, there was no way Serj was anything like Daron or any of the other losers I had been with throughout my life. I could feel it in my heart, feel it every time he touched me tenderly, kissed me passionately, gazed into my eyes longingly, dreamily, as if he was intrigued by me, infatuated with me. Never in my life could I recall anyone looking at me with such passion in their eyes the way Serj did. Either he was one of the greatest con-artists I'd ever had the misfortune to come across, or he genuinely cared for me as much as I cared for him.

I softly trailed a finger from my cheek, across my jawline, down my neck and around the edge of my breast, unconsciously imitating the way he had touched me when we'd been dancing earlier. I ached to feel his fingers on my flesh again, knew that I wouldn't be able to keep these feelings bottled up throughout the remainder of the night. One could not simply ignore the incredible sensations he instilled whenever he was near.

Although I was scared to give this a try, afraid of all of the things that could go wrong, there was one thing I was definitely positive about: I wanted him, emotionally as well as physically; romantically.

 _You barely even know him!_

I knew him well enough to know he was the most caring and kind man I'd ever met.

 _You've known him less than a day. Looks and actions can be deceiving; you of all people should know that by now._

I wanted to trust him with my whole heart, offer it up completely.

 _He'll use it up and then break it, just to throw you away like everyone before him has. Don't be fooled by his charm; you don't know him, which therefore means he cannot be trusted._

He'll love and cherish me! I could feel it every time he gazed into my eyes.

 _He'll stay with you 'til he gets bored, then move on to someone better. You're just a crazy country girl from Virginia, after all, nothing too special._

Shut up, damn you...That's not true.

 _Walk away, before you get hurt._

No, I can't…I won't! He already means too much to me.

 _Then stay, and suffer the consequences._

I slammed my hands down on the counter of the sink in frustration, wishing that the little girl petrified of the world & everyone in it that had dwelled in my heart since my early adolescence would just go away and allow me to be the woman I wanted to be. I refused to let my own fears sabotage me, not this time.

"Just breathe," I whispered to myself. "Take a deep breath and relax." I knew that I was overanalyzing everything and despised that aspect of my personality; it caused me nothing but grief. My upbringing had instilled in me the need to always remain cautious of everything around me, and especially every one. It was just in my nature. The funny thing, though, was that it seemed like no amount of caution had protected me from all of the previous damaging relationships I had let myself fall into.

Don't you dare think about any of that now! Just try to have fun and make the most of this night.

A soft knock sounded on the door suddenly, startling me from my thoughts. I was very happy for that.

"Are you okay, Arianna?" Serj's voice drifted through the cracked bathroom door and it instantly seemed to soothe my nerves.

Glancing at the door, I noticed he hadn't moved it an inch, wasn't trying to be intrusive in any kind of way. I respected that. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be out in a sec."

"Okay. I got your bag for you. I figured you may have needed it up here with you."

What a gentleman, I thought with a smile. "Aww, thanks, how kind of you."

"You're quite welcome," came his reply. His voice was a bit farther away that time, as if he'd moved over to sit on his bed.

To my dismay, I started to feel very nervous again. I took another deep, calming breath and reminded myself that nothing had to happen that I wasn't comfortable with. Serj definitely didn't seem like the type of guy that would try to pressure a girl into doing something she didn't want to do. I adored that quality about him; how he always seemed to want to be very helpful, was naturally considerate and irresistibly loving.

He wasn't just any ordinary guy, though. He was Serj fuckin' Tankian, world-famous vocalist for System of a Down, and an amazing guy that was able to take my breath away whenever I gazed into his eyes or he simply uttered my name.

Well, one thing was for certain: Absolutely nothing would be able to transpire if I hid out in his bathroom for the rest of the night like a frightened little child. No, I'd had enough thinking time. Now it was time to go give him my all and make sure he'd never forget about me.

I quickly grabbed my green & black striped arm-warmer off of the sink's counter and put it on. I may have been willing to show Serj my body, but I definitely wasn't going to let him see the ugly, self-inflicted scars strewn across the inside of my left forearm. Every time someone accidentally saw them, they always expected an explanation for why I'd want to do such a thing to myself. It was a story that I wasn't prepared to tell, not tonight. It was too depressing and definitely a buzz-killer. I wanted tonight to be just about us; no complications, just blissful fun.

Tightening the towel more firmly around my body, I took one last look at myself in the mirror, drew in a slow, steadying breath and then pulled the bathroom door open.

 _ **Serj**_

As I sat on the edge of my bed I could hear Arianna shuffling around in my bathroom. She had already got out of the shower, turned the water off and would be out any second. My sweaty palms made me realize how nervous I was at the thought of just being around her again. Not nervous in a bad way, though. I was just a little wary of making a mistake, even a small one, because I wanted to do everything in my power to impress Arianna. Despite my nerves, I also reveled in the feelings she stirred within me. It'd been several years, if ever, really, since I had felt this strongly about a woman. I was very worried about how she would perceive my actions. _Damn,_ I thought to myself, taking in a deep, steadying breath.

She was simply mesmerizing to me. I wanted to make slow, sweet, passionate love to her, please her all night long, stimulate both her body and mind to the point where we were both exhausted and couldn't go anymore.

But even with this nearly overwhelming urge to see her face writhed with exuberant pleasure and hear her sweet voice moan my name over and over again in ecstasy, my determination to prove to her that I wanted so much more than just her body was a stronger force still. She could tell me that she didn't want to have sex tonight, and I'd still care for her just as much. As long as I'd get to fall asleep with her cradled in my arms and wake up in the morning to her beautiful, smiling face, I'd be a very satisfied man indeed.

The solid fact that Arianna had completely over-taken both my mind and heart in less than twenty-four hours was absolutely exhilarating to me, and also a bit astonishing at the same time. I knew I was head over heels in love with her and the reality of it sounded crazy, especially to me. Pure insanity, because I suddenly realized that other than knowing her name, her hometown and that she was currently living here in California with a friend, I knew absolutely nothing else about her. Even so, I still yearned to tell her exactly how I felt about her. I just wasn't sure when or how. Definitely not tonight, that was much too soon. If I did, she'd probably think I was a creep telling a flat-out lie with the hopes of getting into her pants. I needed to wait for a while longer, at least until I was able to discover more about her. Although I was absolutely positive that there was nothing I could discover that could sway my feelings for her.

The door of my bathroom slowly swung open, causing me to instantly sit up a bit straighter. My heart was thundering inside of my chest.

Arianna stepped out of the bathroom with only a navy-blue towel wrapped around her body. It clung wondrously to her voluptuous curves and I couldn't control my gaze from trailing up and down her lovely frame. Her hair was damp and had lost some of its volume, but still perfectly framed her full, gorgeous face.

She took three or four small steps towards me, glanced down at herself tentatively, then looked back at me. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No, no, of course not," I said quickly, giving her a warm grin. "You're just…stunningly beautiful, that's all."

Her shoulders visibly relaxed a bit as she ran a hand through her hair and smiled brightly. "Why thank you, Mr. Tankian. You're not too bad yourself, you know."

A wide smile spread across my lips and I laughed lightly. "Thank you, Arianna."

She smiled again and her gorgeous, green eyes took on a seemingly mischievous quality. She started walking towards me slowly and my eyes were instantly drawn to the sexy sway of her hips, my brain mentally unwrapping that thin towel from around her body.

For a second her eyes darted down to where her duffel bag lay beside my feet and I immediately thought she was walking over to get it. I grabbed the strap and held it out to her.

Arianna took hold of the strap and sat her bag to the side. Giving her head a slow, slight shake, she gazed down at me for a few seconds with a quizzical glint in her eyes, as if she were studying an intricate painting. A small smile played on her lips and one of her eyebrows was slightly raised.

I don't know if she even realized how seductive the look she was giving me truly was. I fought the sudden urge to wrap her up in my arms and kiss her with everything I had, until neither one of us could breathe properly!

But my God, was it hard!

I didn't want to be the one to initiate anything, though. I wanted to make her feel as comfortable as possible, and so I wanted to leave the choice entirely up to her. As mentioned before, I would be completely happy to go along with whatever she wanted to do.

She laid a hand on my shoulder and gently caressed my cheek with her other.

My eyes closed and I softly put my hand on top of hers so that she wouldn't move it, wanting to savor the feel of her soft skin touching my own.

Suddenly, shockingly, amazingly, Arianna climbed on to my lap, straddling me, and my eyes flew open. My arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her torso as I looked into her hypnotizing eyes, gazed into her irresistible soul. What I saw there completely and irrevocably amazed me; kindness, adoration, seduction, maybe even love…

"Arianna, I…" For a second, the inhibition-stunting alcohol currently affecting my mind almost got the better of me and I had almost let slip the three words that were on the tip of my tongue, desperate to break free. _I love you._

"You, what?" She tilted her head to the side slightly, the action causing a few locks of her hair to fall forward.

I gently tucked them back behind her ear and let my hand rest on the side of her face. "I am constantly being surprised by you tonight and I _love_ it."

Smiling widely, she giggled, and the sound of it warmed my heart. "I think I can definitely say the same thing for you too, Serj." She settled even closer to me then and I could feel the softness of her pressing against me through the thin material of my pants.

Arianna seemed to feel the sudden throbbing and constriction because she pressed her chest tightly against me and her lips sought out mine. Her kiss was soft and just a little bit timid, but filled with undeniable and overwhelming passion, much like the kiss we had shared earlier in the kitchen. Her lips on mine were so soothingly smooth and…innocent. I again resigned myself to go at the pace that she was comfortable with.

She moved both of her hands up to gently grasp the back of my head and tenderly sucked on my lower lip, causing a low growl to echo from deep in my chest.

Arianna bit down again, with a bit more force, and another moan escaped me. I couldn't stop myself from strengthening my hold around her and, very tenderly, grinding myself against her. Then it was her turn to let a small moan of pleasure float up from her core. The sound of it turned me on even more than I already was, and I craved more. I loved to hear her sounds of pleasure and suddenly got the strongest urge to go down on her. I wanted to taste her sweet desire and yearned to hear her wail out in ecstasy.

 _Patience. Patience is a virtue._

I settled for letting my lips trail down to her slender throat, gently nibbling the tender flesh there. Burying a hand in her hair, I kissed over to the other side of her neck as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She wrapped both of her arms around my neck and pressed my face a little closer to her throat, thoroughly enjoying my gentle tongue and lips caressing her soft skin. _Aha!_ I believed I'd found a hotspot.

I teasingly sucked in on the flesh of her throat and reveled in the insatiable moans it made her produce.

Running a hand through my hair again, I felt her muscles around me clinching and quivering. She rocked her hips against my own, already wet.

Still kissing and teasing the smooth, soft skin of her neck with my tongue, I ran both of my hands down her sides and took hold of her hips. I slowly grinded myself into her again with a little more force than before. The loud moan that escaped her excited my body, made my blood heat up, and I could feel myself getting harder and harder by the second. _Good God, if only you knew just what you're capable of doing to me!_

"Mmm, Serj," Arianna murmured, placing a gentle hand against my cheek once more. The feel of her rocking her hips back and forth into me was becoming more agonizing by the minute. "I want you to make love to me, Serj."

I pulled my head back to look into her eyes, carefully searching. "Are you sure?" My heart was jack-hammering in my chest and my groin throbbed wildly in my pants, but I needed to be absolutely certain that she wanted this, wanted me; that she hadn't said it because she was simply caught up in the moment or only suggested it because she thought that it was what I wanted. "I care about you, Arianna," _I love you with all of my soul._ "A lot." _More than you'd ever believe right now._ And we don't have to do anything that you don't feel comfortable with. I promise I won't be mad or upset. Are you positive?"

Her eyes searched mine intently for a few seconds and then a small, warm smile spread across her luscious lips. That playful, seductive glint brightened in her eyes. "I'm positive," she replied, hugging me closer to her firm body. "I trust you, Serj. You've made me feel more comfortable and beautiful here tonight than I've ever felt before, and I don't believe you'd ever do anything to hurt me." She raised a hand and rested it on the side of my face and I turned my head to the side slightly to kiss her fingers." I care a lot about you too, Serj, and I want you to make me yours, right now."

Arianna's words instantly calmed my concerns, made my heart swell with indescribable love and passion and soothingly warmed my soul. No, I could never, ever do anything to harm this incredible, beautiful woman in my arms. If she wanted it, I'd love and cherish her until the day I died; just the thought of it immediately instilled a foreign, pure, overwhelming and all-consuming happiness in me that I'd never experienced before. I loved the feeling, I loved her, and I'd never let anyone or anything try to stand in between us.

**This story is currently in a revision stage (chapters One & Two are FIN), however, I'm also going through some legal troubles so don't expect any consistency with my updates until further notice… I'm very sorry to anyone who's actually reading this thing; I will finish it one day, I don't plan on abandoning it!**


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